I LI BRARY OF CON GRESS, i 

# ___ ^> 

^UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.| 





•^ ^m the Wa^«'' 






®|« 




AND 






r< u 



BY S: G. RHOADS, 

MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL. 



Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the 
old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall 
find rest for your souls. — Jex. vi. 16. 




PHILADELPHIA: 
PERKINPINE & HIGGINS, 

56 N. Fourth Street. 
1869. 






Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by 

S. G. R HO ADS, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States in 
and for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 



J. FAGAX & SOX, iSl^Mj 

1^ STEREOTYPZRS, PHILAD'A. fc^^^*^ 
^.J^_ ^A, ^J^K 

8HEBKAN t CO., PBE!7I£BS. 



TO 

®iIUam |0st, V.D.M., 

Watchman on the Walls of Zion, 

AND 

TO ALL LOYERS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, 

WITHOUT REGARD TO SECT, OR PARTY NAME, 
IS MOST RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED. 



PEEFACE. 



rpHE opinions of tlie people on tlie all- 
-■- important subject of religion are 
various, and, in many particulars, quite 
erroneous and self-contradictory. One says, 
"I am of Paul ; " another, "I am of 
Apollos ; " a third, " I am of Cephas ; " a 
fourth, "T am of Christ." We are forced 
to inquire, in the language of the apostle, 
" Is Christ divided ? Was Paul (this one, 
or another) crucified for you? Or were 
you baptized in the name of Paul," or any 
other? (1 Cor. i. 11-13.) Is it at all sur- 
prising, that the Poet, when reflecting 
upon this confusion in religious matters, 
became disheartened, and was led to ex- 
claim. 



VI PREFACE. 

" What shall I do ? One man will tell me this, 
Another teach me that ; 
Whom shall I trust ? My heart uncertain is, 

And still inquires, What ? 
Of hundred different ways and views, 
Say, which of them am I to choose ? 
What shall I do ? " 

Evidently we live in those " perilous 
times," which were repeatedly predicted by 
our Saviour and his apostles, {Matt. vii. 15 ; 
xxiv. 24-26; 1 Tim. iv. 1, 2; 2 Tim. iii. 
1-9 ; 2 Fet. ii. 1-3,) and are consequently 
in imminent danger of being deceived. It 
is, therefore, of paramount importance, 
that we should thoroughly understand this 
subject, which so intimately concerns our 
eternal interests, in order that we may know 
how to escape the numerous perils which 
continually surround us. 

There can possibly be only one "Way of 
Salvation. All others must necessarily be 
false. But now the inquiry arises, "Which 
is the true one ? The volume before the 
reader attempts the solution of this pro- 
blem. The author has endeavored to clear 



PREFACE. VU 

away the rubbish, from the subject of 
religion, to explain and simplify it as much 
as possible, and to present before the reader, 
in a quite simple manner, the Old Way and 
only Method of Salvation. In addition to 
the numerous Scriptural proofs, he has also 
further illustrated and corroborated the 
subject, by testimonies from various Chris- 
tian Denominations. 

He might have multiplied the Denomina- 
tional testimonies ; but it would have ex- 
panded the dimensions of the work un- 
necessarily, and, moreover, the Denomina- 
tions cited represent almost, if not quite, 
every shade of the orthodox Christian 
world. The reader will please " prove all 
things " by the infallible standard of God's 
Holy Book, and reject whatever does not 
coincide with its divine teachings. The 
author's object was not to split hair on 
questions of religious controversy, nor to 
give a critical discussion of the various 
Systems of Theology ; but simply, to set 
forth and impress upon the minds and the 
hearts of the people, those great and 



Vlll PREFACE. 

glorious truths — which are essential to man's 
eternal welfare — and to induce them to seek 
their salvation only in Christ, the Source 
of Eternal Life. 

In regard to the literary execution, the 
simple language, and the style of the book in 
general, the author has no apology to offer, 
as he wrote principally for the common class 
of people, feeling perfectly satisfied, that, if 
he could make himself intelligible to them, 
the educated and refined, who would con- 
descend to favor his humble production 
with a perusal, would have no difficulty in 
comprehending him. May the great Head 
of the Church, the true Shepherd and 
Bishop of souls, bestow His blessing upon 
this feeble effort to promote the interests 
of His kingdom, so that the circulation of 
this volume may redound to His honor and 
glory, and result in the salvation of many 
precious souls, is the sincere and earnest 
prayer of the Author. 

READiNa, Pa., April 21, 1869. 




CHAPTER I. 

THE OLD WAY OF SALVATION. 

OXLY OS-E WAY TO BE SAVED — JESUS CHEIST 
IS THE WAY — THE WAY AS OLD AS THE 
WOELD — DENOMIirATIONAIi TESTIMOiQES 13 

CHAPTER 11. 

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OLD WAY. 

A WAY OF OBEDIEXCE — OF PEAYER — OF SELF- 
DENIAL — A GOOD AND SAFEWAY 32 

CHAPTER III. 

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE OLD WAY. 

CONTINUED, 

AN UNIVEESAL — A FREE — A DESPISED AND 
HATED — A PEESECUTED AND COMPAEA- 

TIVELY UNFEEQUENTED WAY 46 

iz 



X CONTENTS. 

CHAPTEK IV. 

THE METHOD OF THE OLD WAY. 

EEPENT ANCE — FAITH — DENOMINATIONAL TES- 
TIMONIES. 67 



CHAPTER V. 

THE METHOD OF THE OLD WAY. 

CONTINUED. 

JUSTIFICATION — REGENERATION— SANCTIFICA- 

TION — DENOMINATIONAL TESTIMONIES 86 



CHAPTER VL 

THE METHOD OF THE OLD WAY. 

CONTINUED. 

GROWTH IN GRACE — CHRISTIAN PERFECTION 
— DENOMINATIONAL TESTIMONIES 135 



CHAPTER VII. 

THE GLORIOUS PRIVILEGE OF THE OLD WAY. 

THE ASSURANCE OF BEING IN A STATE OF SAL- 
VATION — DENOMINATIONAL TESTIMONIES.... 174 



CONTENTS. 



XI 



CHAPTER VIII. 

THE GOAL OF THE OLD WAY. 

A PEACEFUL DEATH — DEIfOMIKATION^AL TES- 
TIMONIES — A GLORIOUS RESURRECTION — A 
PUBLIC RECOGNITION AT THE DAY OF JUDG- 
MENT — ENTRANCE INTO ETERNAL LIFE AND 
GLORY 200 



CHAPTER IX. 

CONCLUSION. 

FAREWELL ADDRESS TO THE READER 227 



THE OLD WAY. 



CHAPTER I. 
THE OLD WAY OF SALVATION. 

ONLY ONE WAY TO BE SAVED — JESUS CHRIST IS 
THE WAY — THE WAY AS OLD AS THE WORLD — 
DENOMINATIONAL TESTIMONIES. 




HEEE is only one way to eternal 

Life, and that way is the Lord 

Jesus Christ; "for there is none 

other name under heaven given among men 

whereby we must be saved." {Acts iv. 12; 

1 Cor, iii. 11 ; 1 Tim, ii. 5, 6.) Jesus Christ 

declares emphatically, "J am the Way, the 

Truth, and the Life; no man cometh unto 

the Father but by me." {John xiv. 6.) Yes, He 
2 13 



14 THE OLD WAY. 

is " the Lamb slain from the foundation of 
the world." (Bev, xiii. 8.) All, who have ever 
been saved, and are now standing around 
God's dazzling throne on high, attained their 
dignified station and exalted felicity through 
him. They have been saved in the same way, 
and upon the same conditions, as persons are 
saved now, or will be hereafter. (See Chap. 
lY. and Y.) It is true, the external form 
of the way has been subjected to occasional 
variations, as was evidently the case in the 
different periods of the world — in the Patri- 
archal, Mosaic, and Evangelical dispensations — 
but the actual substance is immutable and 
eternal ; for " Jesus Christ is the same yester- 
day, to-day, and forever." {Heb. xiii. 8.) 

"Christ naturally sustained this threefold 
relation to the Church, as he is necessarily 
looked upon by men ; his visible personality 
was first prospective^ then for a brief space it 
was present, and ever after it is retrospective. 

But this is not a religious relation; it is 



THE OLD WAY. 15 

chronological. He was all the while the same 
Christ — the same Mediator — the same Sa- 
viour. The same faith in the same Christ 
was always necessary. It is only from the 
human point of observation that he seems to 
present this threefold relation to the Church." * 
Jesus Christ may, therefore, with propriety, 
be denominated the " Old Way and only 
Method of Salvation,'' f He was not, as some 

* ECCE ECCLESIA. 

f Some one may, pertaps, object to this appellation, 
and refer to Heb. x. 20, where the apostle speaks of "a 
new and living way." The passage does not conflict 
with the views advanced in this work. Commentators 
differ somewhat in their renderings of the passage. One 
thing, however, is certain, that the apostle does not 
mean to convey the idea that the Old Testament saints 
were not saved through Christ, the only Mediator, hut 
by some one else. Externally, there is " a new and living 
way" to come to God, as those forms and ceremonies 
■which pointed forward to, and which were necessary 
before, the advent of Christ, have vanished away, and 
we approach him now, in accordance with a different, 
or "new" order of things. Before the personal coming 
and visible sacrifice of our Saviour, many of the cere- 
monies of the Church were typical of that event. Things 



16 THE OLD WAY. 

erroneously suppose, a mere man, but lie had 
an existence previous to the laying of the 
foundation of the universe; for all things 
were created by his omnific energy, "and 
without him was not anything made that was 
made." {John i. 3.) Yea, He is "over all, 
God blessed for evermore," {Bom. ix. 5,) " the 
true God and Eternal Life." (1 John v. 20.) 
Before his advent upon the earth in the garb 
of humanity, he sat upon the dazzling throne 
of the majesty of God. Every object in hea- 
ven and upon earth brought him their tribute 
of gratitude ; myriads of voices in harmonious 
melody emulated with each other to extol his 
greatness. The opening and beautifully em- 
bellished flowers were fragrant with his per- 
fume ; the murmuring brook, as also the mighty 
ocean, proclaimed his goodness ; every breeze 
wafted his praise, every sun displayed his 

typical of Christ's advent upon earth were necessarily 
only temporary, and could not continue beyond that 
period ; but typical things were, in their very nature, 
only external forms, and not the substance of religion. 



THE OLD WAY. 17 

grandeur, every celestial orb was brilliant with 
his radiance ; and every creature, except fallen 
angels and men, sang with united powers his 
honor and glory. 

Although he did not make his advent upon 
earth " in the likeness of sinful flesh " (Rom, 
viii. 3) until after the expiration of over four 
thousand years from the creation, nevertheless 
we have numerous evidences of his pre-exist- 
ence. He was manifested in the creation of 
man. "And God said, Let us make man in 
our image, after our likeness." {Gen, i. 26.) 
The personal pronoun " us " indicates a plu- 
rality in the Deity — the Father, Son, and Holy 
Ghost, [Matt, xxviii. 19,) — and demonstrates the 
fact that Jesus is equal with the Father, (John 
x. 30,) " the brightness of his glory and the 
express image of his person." (Ileb, i. 3.) The 
following passages corroborate the same truth : 
Gen, 111, 22] xi. 7 ; xvi. 13; xxxii. 24-30; 
Ex, iii. 2-6; Josh. v. 13-15; Judges ii. 4, 5. 
The personage referred to in these passages 

2* B 



18 THE OLD WAY. 

was no other than the Son of God before his 
incarnation — "the messenger of the cove- 
nant," {Mai. iii. 1) — "who l^eing in the form 
of God, thought it not robbery to be equal 
with God ; but made himself of no reputation, 
and took upon him the form of a servant, and 
was made in the likeness of men ; and being 
found in fashion as a man, he humbled him- 
self and became obedient unto death, even the 
death of the cross." (PhiL ii. 6-8.) 

That Jesus Christ is the Eedeemer of 
Mankind, and the only Way of Salvation, is 
evident : 

1. From the Promise. Immediately after 
the deplorable fall of our first parents, God 
promised a Deliverer. "And I will put en- 
mity between thee and the woman, and be- 
tween thy seed ai^ her seed; it shall bruise 
thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." 
{Gen. iii. 15.) This passage, without contro- 
versy, has reference to a Mediator. Nearly 
all commentators agree in this particular. 



THE OLD WAY. 19 

Such a promise was indispensably necessary, 
at that time, to preserve Adam and Eve from 
utter despair, and in order to awaken hopeful 
aspirations in their hearts after their Creator. 
In this passage we have three particulars pre- 
dicated concerning the Messiah : first, his in- 
carnation — he should be the seed of the woman ; 
secondly, his sufferings — the serpent should 
bruise his heel; and thirdly, his victory over 
Satan — he should bruise the serpenfs head, 

Matthew Henry very appropriately remarks 
on this passage : " A gracious promise is here 
made of Christ, as the Deliverer of fallen man 
from the power of Satan ; though it was ex- 
pressed to the serpent, yet it was expressed in 
the hearing of our first parents, who, doubt- 
less, took the hints of grace here given them, 
and saw a door of hope opened to them; 
else the following sentence upon themselves 
(v. 17-19) would have overwhelmed them. 
Here was the dawning of the Gospel-day; 
no sooner was the wound given, than the 



20 THE OLD WAY. 

remedy was provided and revealed ; here in 
the head of the booh, as the word is, {Seh. x. 7,) 
in the beginning of the Bible, it is written of 
Christ that he should do the will of God. By 
faith in this promise, we have reason to think, 
our first parents, and the patriarchs before the 
flood, were justified and saved; and to this 
promise, and the benefit of it, instantly serving 
God day and night, they hoped to come." 

2. From the History of the Patriarchs, God 
said unto Abraham, " In thee shall all fami- 
lies of the earth be blessed," {Gen. xii. 3,) that 
is, through the promised Messiah, who should 
descend from his seed. He believed God, 
" and he counted it to him for righteousness." 
{Gen. XV. 6 ; Bom. iv. 3 ; Gal. iii. 6.) " The 
faithful offering up of Isaac, with its results, 
was probably the transaction in which Abra- 
ham, more clearly than in any other, "saw 
the day of Christ." {John viii. 56.) He re- 
ceived Isaac from the dead, says Paul, " in a 
figure." {Heb xi. 19.) "This could be a figure 



THE OLD WAY. 21 

of nothing but the resurrection of our Lord ; 
and if so, Isaac's being laid upon the altar 
was a figure of his sacrificial death, scenically 
and most impressively represented to Abra- 
ham/' * Jacob also " waited for the Lord's sal- 
vation" {Gen, xlix. 18) — he "wrestled" with 
Him, obtained the blessing, [Gen. xxxii. 26- 
28,) and was "redeemed from all evil." {Gen, 
xlviii. 16.) 

3. From the Mosaic Economy, The entire 
Mosaic law, the whole ceremonial arrange- 
ment, pointed to the Messiah, the Mediator of 
the human race. The tabernacle, and after- 
ward Solomon's temple with all its numerous 
appendages, the altar, the sacrifices, the ser- 
vices, were all designed to direct the mind to 
the immaculate Lamb of God, which, in the 
" fullness of time," should be suspended be- 
tween heaven and earth, and suffer, and bleed, 
and die on Calvary's rugged brow, as a perfect 

* Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical 
Literature. 



22 THE OLD WAT. 

sacrifice for the sins of the world. [Gal. iii. 
16-29.) Also the priest, his robes, breastplate, 
etc., pointed to the great High Priest, the 
"priest forever, after the order of Melchise- 
dec," as is clearly evident from the Epistle to 
the Hebrews. {Heh, vii.) 

4. From the Prophecies. In the age of the 
Prophets, the Kedeemer appears still clearer 
before our eyes. In the prophetic visions, we 
behold his person, birth, work, sufferings, ex- 
altation, and glory, so distinctly and vividly 
delineated, as if he had really made his advent 
in their days. David calls him " Lord," {Ps, 
ex. 1 ;) Isaiah designates him as " Immanuel," 
which signifies, " God with us,'' and proclaims 
expressly his supernatural birth, (Isa. vii. 14;) 
his government, (Isa. ix. 6, 7 ;) his work, [Isa. 
Ixiii. 1-4 ;) his sufferings and death. [Isa. liii.) 
Jeremiah speaks of him as "a righteous 
Branch," and as "the Lord our Righteous- 
ness," (Jer. xxiii. 5, 6 ;) Ezekiel, as the " Shep- 
herd," [Ezeh. xxxiv. 23 ;) Daniel, as " Mes- 



THE OLD WAY. 23 

siah the Prince/' (Dan. ix. 25;) Micah, in 
addition to announcing his birthplace, Beth- 
lehem, speaks of him as the " Ruler in Israel, 
whose goings forth have been of old, from 
everlasting." {Mieah v. 2.) Zechariah charac- 
terizes him, or more properly the work of 
redemption achieved by him, " the fountain 
opened in the house of David for sin and un- 
cleanness," {Zech. xiii. 1 ;) and Malachi, as the 
"Sun of righteousness," which should "arise 
with healings in his wings." (Hal. iv. 2.) 
Jesus is the centre of all prophecy ; " for the 
testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." 
(Bev. xix. 10.) "Of which salvation the pro- 
phets have inquired, and searched diligently, 
who prophesied of the grace that should come 
unto you ; searching what, or what manner of 
time, the spirit of Christ which was in them 
did signify, when it testified beforehand the 
sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should 
follow." (1 Pet i. 10, 11.) "To him," says 
Peter, "give all the prophets witness, that, 



24 THE OLD WAY. 

through his name, whosoever believeth in him 
shall receive remission of sins." {Ads x. 43.) 

5. From the Preaching of John the Baptist. 
John the Baptist was the forerunner of the 
personal advent of Christ upon earth, and was 
himself the subject of prophecy. [Isa. xl. 3 ; 
3Ial. iv. 5, compared with Ilatt. xi. 13, 14; 
xvii. 12, 13.) The subject of his preaching 
was not exclusively "repentance," but also 
'* the Lamb of God, which taketh away the 
sin of the world." {John i. 29.) 

6. From his Incarnation, "And without 
controversy, great is the mystery of godliness, 
God was manifest in the flesh." (1 Tim. iii. 3^ 
16.) The Son of God did really reveal him- 
self in the flesh. {Luhe ii. 10; John i. 14; 
Gal. iv. 4, 5.) He shone as the "Morning 
Star " in the early twilight and development of 
the Church, but finally arose as the " Sun of 
Righteousness," the full day dawned, and "the 
grace of God that bringeth salvation appeared 
unto all men." {Tit. ii. 11.) On the occasion 



THE OLD WAY. 25 

of his birth, the celestial hosts appeared unto 
the solitary shepherds on the mountains of 
Judea, and announced the gratifying intelli- 
gence, " Behold, I bring you good tidings of 
great joy, which shall be to all people. For 
unto you is born this day, in the city of David, 
a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.'^ [Luke ii. 
10, 11.) Jesus was publicly acknowledged by 
God as his own dear Son. [Matt. iii. 17.) He 
also proved himself as such in his person, doc- 
trine, labors, life, sufferings, death, and finally 
in his glorious resurrection and triumphant 
ascension to heaven. This was the unani- 
mous testimony of every surrounding object. 
The raging storm, the foaming billows, the 
darkened sun, mourning nature, the rent veil 
and rocks, the resurrected dead, and those by 
his power from every disease restored; yea, 
men, angels, and even devils coincided in this 
glorious testimony. By his inconceivable suf- 
ferings, by the shedding of his precious blood, 
and ultimately by his ignominious death on 



26 THE OLD WAY. 

the cross on Calvary, he accomplished an eter- 
nal, and, to the fathers of antiquity, long prom- 
ised and ardently expected, glorious redemp- 
tion ; for " God was in Christ, reconciling the 
world unto himself, not imputing their tres- 
passes unto them ; and hath committed unto us 
the word of reconciliation." (2 Cor, v. 19.) 

This crucified and risen Jesus is the way 
to eternal glory. There never was another 
way, and no other . will ever be discovered. 
Whoever shall attempt to publish another way 
to be saved, and though it were an angel from 
heaven, the same, says Paul, is "accursed." 
{Gal. i. 6-9.) This is the doctrine of every 
orthodox Christian denomination. 

I. Episcopal Chuech. "No mancometh 
to the favor of God, but by Christ : He is the 
propitiation for our sins, and through Him 
alone we are received into the favor of God, 
and procure the pardon of our sins, to the pur- 
poses of final salvation." — Bishop Beveridge. 

II. Moravian Church. " By his sufier- 



THE OLD VTAY. 27 

ings and death Christ has purchased the forgive- 
ness of sins. He became the propitiation for 
our sins, ' having obtained eternal redemption 
for us' (Heb. ix. 12) from sin and death, from 
the curse of the law and the wrath to come. 
Through Christ we have access unto the 
Father.'' {Fph. ii. 18.)— Catechism. 

III. LrTHERA^ ChtjPvCH. " Except this 
way, which is Christ, you will find no other to 
the Father, but only by-paths and delusion ; 
no truth, but only hypocrisy and falsehood ; 
no life, but death and damnation." — Dr, M. 
Luther. 

IT. Refoemed Chuech. "He is the 
most precious and indispensable gift of a mer- 
ciful God to a fallen world. In Him are the 
treasures of true wisdom, in Him the foun- 
tain of pardon and peace, in Him the only 
substantial hope and comfort, in this world 
and that which is to come." — Dr. P. Schaff. 

T. Presbyterian Church. ^^ It is only 
bv Christ and his name that those favors can 



28 THE OLD WAY. 

be expected from God, whiGli are necessary to 
our salvation, and that our services can be ac- 
cepted with God. This is the honor of Christ^s 
name, that it is the only name whereby we 
must be saved ; the only name we have to plead 
in all our addresses to God." — M. Henry, 

YI. Baptist Church. "'One Mediator.' 
There is no choice. You must accept of him, 
or remain unreconciled, and be cast into hell. 
Israel found but one path through the Red 
Sea; the church shall never find more than 
one way to the heavenly Canaan." — C Evans. 

VII. Methodist Chuech. " I^ot only no 
other person, but no name except that divinely 
appointed one, (Matt. i. 21,) by which salva- 
tion from sin can be expected ; no other means 
ever devised by God himself for the salvation 
of a lost world." — Dr. A. Clarke. 

YIII. United Brethren in Christ. 
" Christ crucified is the ever prominent theme 
of the Scriptures, and is, beyond question, the 
most wonderful fact recorded in the sacred 



THE OLD WAY. 29 

annals. To deny this, is to reject the Bible, 
and to shut ourself out forever from all 
possibility of eternal life. There is salvation 
in no other name, save that of Jesus Christ, 
which name has its virtue from the shedding 
of his most precious blood.'' — W. J. Shuey, 

IX. Evangelical Assoclation. "We 
may turn whichever way we please, and look 
around us to discover a place of refuge, or a 
rational foundation upon which to rest securely 
the hope of happiness; but we can nowhere 
espy anything which could ameliorate our 
great misery, or afford us a certain and reliable 
ground; everything fails, everything disap- 
points. Only in Christ, the crucified Re- 
deemer, and in him alone, can the poor, aching 
heart find rest, deliverance and salvation." — 
a G. Koch, 

This truth is very beautifully expressed in 

the following stanzas on " The Only Way,'' 

by H. B. Hartzler, Minister of the Gospel. 
3* 



80 THE OLD WAY. 

Yes, Jesus is tlie only Way ! 

The path of life for man astray ; 

This stands a living truth forever, 

From which no hand God's word may sever. 

It kindled hope in Adam's breast, 

It gave his troubled spirit rest; 

In type and figure Moses taught it, 

From prophet lips the nations caught it ; 

And while the ages fled away. 

And nearer came the kindling day, 

Appointed by the great I AM, 

The Baptist cried, " Behold the Lamb ! " 

Yes, all this central truth display, 

That Jesus is the only Way. 

Yes, Jesus is the only Way ! 
His lips declare it once for aye ; 
The Father's spoken Word reveals it, 
The Holy Ghost divinely seals it ; 
Bold Peter speaks it, Paul affirms. 
The pen of loving John confirms, — 
All testify in strong array, 
That Jesus is the only Way. 

Yes, Jesus is the only Way ! 
He never turned a soul away. 
The mourner's cry has ever moved Him, 
And long a ruined world has proved Him. 
Ask Adam, Noah, Abram ; all 
** The tribes of vanished ages call ; 



THE OLD WAY. 31 

Arouse the sainted dead of yore, 
From martyr graves, on sea and shore, 
Tea, bring God's living hosts to-day. 
Whose feet once trod the downward way. 
And all in heart will join and say: 
Yes, Jesus is the only Way. 

Yes, Jesus is the only Way ! 
All heaven repeats the joyous lay. 
With deeper, holier raptures burning, 
For every sinful soul returning ; 
Yea, even Hell must give reply. 
Nor trembling devils dare deny 
The truth that fills them with dismay: 
That Jesus is the only Way. 




CHAPTER 11. 



CHAEACTEEISTICS OF THE OLD WAY. 






A WAY OF OBEDIENCE — OF PRAYER — OF SELF-DE- 
IflAL — A GOOD AND SAFE WAY. 

HAT the reader may become properly 
acquainted with the "Old Way," it 
will be necessary to direct his atten- 
tion to some of its more prominent character- 
istics. An intimate knowledge of the way to 
be saved is indispensably necessary, as the 
Prince of darkness, and his faithful servants, 
transform themselves into angels of light, 
(2 Cot, xi. 13, 14,) deceive souls, and lead them 
astray. Thousands are thus deceived by seek- 
ing their salvation in morality, self-righteous- 
ness, and external forms. They are comforted 

in their sins with the promise of eternal life, 

32 



THE OLD WAY. 83 

never learn the true state of their souls, and 
thus perish forever. I will, therefore, en- 
deavor to point out the truth, the right way, 
so clearly that the "fool shall not err therein," 
and that "he who runs may read" and under- 
stand. 

1. It is a Way of Obedience. "He humbled 
himself and became obedient unto death, even 
the death of the cross." {Phil. ii. 8.) Jesus 
was obedient in all things; he "fulfilled all 
righteousness," {Matt. iii. 15;) he came not to 
destroy the law, but to fulfil. {Matt. v. 17.) 
In this, as well as in every other respect, he 
has " left us an example, that we should follow 
his footsteps." (1 Pet. ii. 21.) Without un- 
reserved and unconditional obedience to every 
requisition of the Divine Oracles, no one can 
entertain any reasonable hope of eternal life. 
(2 John J 9.) Obedience is constantly enforced, 
{Egg. xii. 13; John xiv. 15; xv. 14;) and every 
true believer will obey God and do his holy 
will. {Matt. vii. 21; xxviii. 20; 1 John v. 3.) 



84 THE OLD WAY. 

2. It is a Way of Prayer. Jesus was con- 
stant in prayer, living in uninterrupted com- 
munion with his heavenly Father. He also 
taught his disciples to pray, {Lulce xi. 1-5,) 
and admonished them never to faint in the per- 
formance of this sacred duty. {Luke xviii. 1-8.) 
Every true believer must, therefore, necessari- 
ly be a person of prayer ; for the Sacred Scrip- 
tures repeatedly enforce this duty. "Continu- 
ing instant in prayer," {Rom. xii. 12 ;) " Pray- 
ing always with all prayer and supplication in 
the Spirit," {Eph. vi. 18;) "In everything by 
prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let 
your requests be made known unto God." 
{Phil. iv. 6 ; 1 Thess. v. 17; 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2; 
1 Pet. iv. 7.) Dr. M. Luther correctly ob- 
serves : " Wherever there is a Christian, you 
will find the Holy Ghost also, which is con- 
tinually engaged in prayer. Although the 
lips may not always move and utter words, yet 
the heart beats, like the pulse and heart in the 
body, in sighs without ceasing ; so that it is 



THE OLD WAY. 35 

as impossible to find a prayerless Christian, as 
a living man without a pulse.'' 

Prayer is generally divided into several di- 
visions, as follows : 

1) Aspiration. Of this kind of prayer we 
have numerous examples in the Word of God. 
The Book of Psalms is full of them. It is 
impossible always to assume a particular pos- 
ture in prayer, sitting, kneeling, or standing, 
and address God with words; as we have also 
other duties devolving upon us, namely, pro- 
viding for our families, (1 Tim. v. 8,) and fol- 
lowing our secular business. Under all these 
circumstances, however, we can send our aspi- 
rations to God, as they are not restricted to 
any particular place or season, but are appro- 
priate everywhere and on all occasions. Thus 
it is possible to live in constant communion 
with God, and, indeed, the eyes of the true 
believer, like David's, " are ever toward the 
Lord." (Ps. XXV. 15.) 

2) Secret Prayer, Jesus not only expressly 



3Q THE OLD WAY. 

enjoined this duty, {Matt. vi. 6,) but also en- 
forced it by his own blessed example. He 
frequently withdrew from all society, and from 
the busy scenes of the world, and retired into 
the mountains and solitary places, and spent 
whole nights in secret devotion. {LuJce vi. 12.) 
It is the sacred duty of every believer daily 
to follow this example. 

3) Family Prayer. This division includes : 

(1) Prayers, morning and evening, when the 
whole family is present, and take part in the 
exercise. 

(2) Prayers before and after meals. '^ Fam- 
ily worship, with morning and evening prayer, 
and use of the holy Scriptures, include also 
prayer at the table." — Dr. P. Schaff. 

Jesus had family prayers. His disciples 
constituted his family. He not only taught 
them to pray, but also prayed with {ImJce ix. 
18) and for them. [John x\'ii.) He also prayed 
at meals, {Luhe xxiv. 30,) and taught us to 
pray for our daily bread. {Matt. vi. 11 ; Eph. 



THE OLD WAY. 87 

V. 20 ; 1 Cor. x. 31 ; 1 Tim. iv. 3-5.) Prayer 
in the family is an important duty, as we learn 
from numerous examples of Holy Writ. It 
was implied in the pious resolution of Joshua,, 
{Josh. xxiv. 15 ;) in king David blessing his 
house, (2 Sam. vi. 20 ;) quite probably in the 
tri-daily prayers of the prophet Daniel, {Dan. 
vi. 10,) and most certainly in the prayers of 
Cornelius in his house. (Acts x. 2.) "The 
curse of the Lord is in the house of the 
wicked j but he blesseth the habitation of the 
just.'' {Prov. iii. 33.) 

A prayerless family is, properly speaking, 
no Christian family. Athanasius testifies con- 
cerning the primitive Christians : " The houses 
of Christians were quite properly sanctuaries. 
.... There was everywhere such an emu- 
lation after godliness, that one supposed every 
family was a sanctuary or temple, on account 
of the godliness of those who lived therein, 
and prayed so zealously to God.'' 

"The refreshment and sustenance of the 
4 



38 THE OLD WAY. 

spirit must precede that of the body, the 
heavenly before the earthly." — Tertullian. 

"We ought not to partake of food, till 
prayer preceded it. Neither should we arise 
from the table before returning thanks to 
God ." — Hieronymus. 

4) Social Prayer. "Again I say unto you, 
That if two of you shall agree on earth as 
touching anything that they shall ask, it shall 
be done for them of my Father which is in 
heaven. For where two or three are gathered 
together in my name, there I am in the midst 
of them." (3IatL xviii. 19, 20.) How abun- 
dant were the primitive Christians in their 
public and social devotions and thanksgivings ! 
(Luke xxiv. 53 ; Acts i. 13, 14 ; iv. 24-31 ; 
xii. 12.) 

Ignatius wrote to the Christians of Magne- 
sia : " All come together to prayer. Let there 
be one prayer, one mind, one hope in unfeigned 
love and joy; for no one is more excellent 
than Christ." 



THE OLD WAY. 89 

" We can pray alone," the primitive Chris- 
tians would say, " but not like in the congre- 
gation, where prayer is offered to God har- 
moniously. You will not be answered when 
you pray alone, as you will when praying with 
your brethren. There is here something more, 
namely, union and agreement, and the bond of 
peace, etc. The Lord has promised every- 
thing what the unity of prayer may demand,'' * 

" We meet together," they said, ^' to move 
God as it were by our united power, through 
our prayers and supplications," etc.f 

3. It is a Way of Self-denial. The whole 
life of Jesus was one of decided self-denial. 
" For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your 
sakes he became poor, that ye through his 
poverty might be rich." (2 Cor. viii. 9 ; Phil. 
ii. 7.) No one ever denied himself in the 
same eminent degree as did the blessed Ee- 

* Abhildung der ersten Christen. f lb. 



40 THE OLD WAY. 

deemer. Whoever will follow him, must also 
submit to a life of self-denial. " Then said 
Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come 
after me, let him deny himself, and take up 
the cross and follow me." {Matt. xvi. 24.) 
The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and 
the pride of life, are not of the Father, but 
of the world, (1 John ii. 16,) and, therefore, 
every sinful and improper indulgence must be 
denied and forsaken, {Lnjbhe xiv. 33 ; Matt. x. 
37, 38,) in order to be a true follower of Jesus; 
^^for the grace of God that bringeth salvation 
hath appeared unto all men, teaching us, that, 
denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we 
should live soberly, righteously, and godly in 
this present world," {Tit. ii. 11, 12;) ^^and 
they that are Christ's have crucified the 
flesh, with the affections and lusts." {GaL 
v. 24.) 

4. It is a Good Way. " I am the good shep- 
herd; the good shepherd giveth his life for 
the sheep." {John x. 12.) Jesus is emphati- 



THE OLD WAY. 41 

cally a good way. Whoever obtains, through 
Him, the pardoning and regenerating grace 
of God, is transformed into an entire new 
creature. The most depraved specimen of hu- 
manity upon earth can be radically changed in 
this way, and become a truly good person. 
Only those who are in this way — in Christ — 
are truly good in a scriptural sense. Persons 
in this way are useful in the church and world, 
in every position and relation of life. They 
will make good ministers and officers of the 
church, good husbands, wives, parents, chil- 
dren, friends, neighbors, and citizens. They 
bring forth good fruit, the fruit of the Spirit, 
which is "love, joy, peace, long.-suflPering, 
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temper- 
ance, {Gal. V. 22, 23;) yea, by a holy walk 
and godly conversation, they " show forth the 
praises of him who hath called them out of 
darkness into his marvellous light.'' (1 Pet ii. 
9.) Oh that all might walk in this good old 

way ! Then would sin and iniquity be ban- 
4* 



42 THE OLD WAY. 

ished from the earth, and peace and happiness 

reign throughout the world ! 

5. It is a Safe Way, " Ko lion shall be 
there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up 
thereon, it shall not be found there; but the 
redeemed shall walk there." {Isa, xxxv. 9.) 
" They shall never perish, neither shall any 
pluck them out of my hand." (John x. 27, 28.) 
Jesus is a safe way, 

1) Against the Curse of the Law. " Christ 
is the end of the law," {Bom. x. 4;) he "was 
delivered for our offences, and was raised 
again for our justification," (i^om. iv. 25;) 
and "with his stripes we are healed." {Isa. 

liii. 5.) 

2) Against an Accusing Conscience. The 
wicked has no peace. {Isa. xlviii. 22.) As 
long as the sinner is out of Christ, he is 
under condemnation, and his conscience ac- 
cuses him. To what fearful compunctions 
of conscience is he frequently subjected on 
account of his ungodly life ! In this way, the 



THE OLD WAY. 43 

guilty, the weary, and the heavy-laden can find 
peace, happiness, and safety, (MaM. xi. 28, 29 ; 
Zech. ix. 12;) for "the blood of Christ, who 
through the eternal Spirit offered himself 
without spot to God, purges the conscience 
from dead works to serve the living God." 
{Heb. ix. 14.) 

3) Against Sin, the World, and the Devil. 
"He that is begotten of God keepeth him- 
self, and that wicked one touch eth him 
not." (1 John v. 18.) The apostle does 
not mean to convey the idea that the believer 
is no longer exposed to the seductions of sin 
and the world, and the attacks and wiles of 
the devil ; but simply, that if he would abide 
in Christ, remain faithful "unto the end," he 
would be preserved from all danger. 

4) Against Eternal Death and Damnation. 
Out of Christ, "God is a consuming fire." 
{Heb. xii. 29.) " The soul that sinneth, it shall 
die." {Ezeh. xviii. 4.) " Upon the wicked he 
shall rain fire and brimstone, and a horrible 



44 THE OLD WAY. 

tempest; this shall be the portion of their 
cup." (Fs. xi. 6.) "When the Lord Jesus 
shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty 
'angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on 
them that know not God, and that obey not 
the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall 
be punished with everlasting destruction from 
the presence of the Lord, and. from the glory 
of his power/' (2 Thess. i. 7-9; Rev. xiv. 11.) 
Notwithstanding the awful threatenings and 
fearful judgments, which shall ultimately be 
executed upon the devoted heads of hardened 
sinners, and the finally impenitent, the soul 
that is in Christ, can "dwell safely," {Prov. i. 
33,) be perfectly resigned, enjoy life and 
happiness, in time, in death, and in eternity. 



' Christ is the refuge of his saints, 
When storms of sharp distress invade ; 
Ere they can offer their complaints, 
Behold him present with his aid. 

Let mountains from their seats be hurled 
Down to the deep, and buried there ; 



THE OLD WAY. 



45 



Convulsions shake the solid world, 
Their faith shall never yield to fear. 

"Loud may the troubled ocean roar; 
In sacred peace their souls abide, 
While every nation, every shore 
Trembles, and dreads the swelling tide." 




CHAPTER III. 



CHAEACTERISTICS OF THE OLD WAY. 

(CONTIinjED.) 

AN TJNIVEESAL — A FREE — A DESPISED A^TD HATED 
— A PERSECUTED AND COMPARATIVELY UNFRE- 
QUEISTTED WAY. 

N extending my observations on the 
characteristics of the "Old Way," 
I would further remark : 
6, It is an Universal Way, Jesus is the 
way of salvation, not only for a certain geo- 
graphical division of the earth, or a definite 
number of the human family; but for the 
whole race. "And he is the propitiation for 
our sins, and not for ours only, but also for 

the sins of the whole world." (1 John ii. 2.) 

4G 




THE OLD WAY. 47 

The Most High "for the suffering of death 
crowned him with glory and honor ; that he 
by the grace of God should taste death for 
every man." {Heb, ii. 9,) He "is the Saviour 
of all men, especially of those that believe." 
(1 Tim. iv. 10.) 

7. It is a Free Way. The grace of God in 
Christ is as free as the air we breathe, and 
the water of the flowing fountain of which we 
drink. God is no respecter of persons. 
(Ads X. 34.) None are preferred because of 
their reputation, or superior temporal advan- 
tages. JSTo one can merit, or purchase salva- 
tion with gold or silver, that perisheth. All 
who comply with the simple conditions of the 
gospel, can enter this way without charge. 
"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the 
waters, and he that hath no money ; come ye, 
buy, and eat ; yea, come, buy wine and milk 
without money, and without price." (Isa. Iv. 
1.) "If any man thirst, let him come unto 
me, and drink." (John vii. 37.) "And whoso- 



48 THE OLD WAY. 

ever will, let him take the water of life freely." 
{Rev. xxii. 17.) 

S, It is a Despised and Hated Way, " They 
that hate me," says the Messiah, "without a 
cause are more than the hair of my head.'' 
(Ps. Ixix. 4.) " He is despised and rejected of 
men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with 
grief; and we hid as it were our faces from 
him; and he was despised, and we esteemed 
him not." (Jsa. liii. 3.) All who seek salva- 
tion in Christ, must expect to realize similar 
treatment. " Ye shall be hated of all men for 
my name's sake." {Matt. x. 22.) "If the 
world hate you, ye know that it hated me 
before it hated you. If ye were of the world, 
the world would love his own ; but because I 
have chosen you from the world, therefore the 
world hateth you." {John xv. 18, 19.) 

9. It is a Persemted Way. " If they have 
persecuted me, they will also persecute you." 
{John XV. 20.) Where in the annals of the 
human race can we find one, who was perse- 



THE OLD WAY. 49 

cuted so early in life, so persistently and cruel- 
ly until death, as was the blessed Jesus? In 
his earliest childhood he was persecuted by the 
sword of a vindictive and bloodthirsty Herod, 
and driven from his home into a strange land. 
Indeed, the whole history of his life, from the 
manger to the grave, was one unbroken chain 
of the most shameless persecutions. Per- 
secution, to a greater or lesser extent, is 
the common lot of all believers. "All that 
will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer 
persecution." (2 Tim. iii. 12.) Thus has it 
been in every period of the Church. {Job xii. 
4, 5 ; Rom. viii. 36 ; 1 Cor. iv. 12, 13 ; 2 Cor. 
iv. 9.) " But as then, he that was born after 
the flesh persecuted him that was born after 
the Spirit, even so it is now." {^G-al. iv. 29.) 
" Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him 
not be ashamed," (1 Pet. iv. 16,) but "rejoice 
and leap for joy," {Luhe vi. 22, 23,) that he is 
" counted worthy to suffer shame for the name 
of Christ." (^cfev. 41.) 



50 THE OLD WAY. 

10. It is a comparatively Unfrequented Way. 
" And ye will not come unto me, that ye might 
have life.'' {John v. 40.) "Because strait 
is the gate and narrow is the way, which 
leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." 
(3faM. vii. 14.) It is a very deplorable fact 
that the way of salvation is so sadly neglected. 
It is true, everybody desires to be saved, but 
alas ! comparatively few are willing to submit 
to the conditions of the " Old Way.'' 

That only a comparatively small number 
walked in this way in every period of the 
world, is clearly evident, from the following 
historical facts. 

1) jTti the Days of Noah. Only eight souls 
were saved in the ark from a watery grave, 
notwithstanding Noah, the "preacher of 
righteousness," proclaimed the "Old Way" 
to the antediluvians, for the period of one 
hundred and twenty years. {Gen. vii. 7; 1 
Fet iii. 20.) 

2) In the Days of Lot. Only ''just Lot," 



THE OLD WAY. 51 

whose " righteous soul " was sorely " vexed 
with the filthy conversation of the wicked/' 
(2 Pet ii. 7,) in his day, and his two daughters, 
were saved from destruction, because they were 
found in the " Old Way/' when God rained 
fire and brimstone upon the cities of the plain. 
{Gen. xix.) 

3) In the Days of David, " Help, Lord : 
for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful 
fail from among the children of men." (Ps, 
xii. 1.) 

4) In the Days of Elijah. The travellers 
in the " Old Way,'' in his day, were so ex- 
ceedingly few, that the prophet actually came to 
the conclusion, that he only was left of those 
who feared the Lord God of Israel. (1 Kings 
xix. 10.) 

5) In the Days of Micah. " Woe is me ! 
for I am as when they have gathered the sum- 
mer fruits, as the grape gleanings of the vin- 
tage ; there is no cluster to eat ; my soul de- 
sireth the first ripe fruit. The good man is 



52 THE OLD WAY. 

perished out of the earth ; and there is none 
upright among men." (Ilicah vii. 1, 2.) 

6) In the Days of Christ. " Fear not, little 
flock ; for it is your Father's good pleasure to 
give you the kingdom." {LuJce xii. 32.) 

7) In the Days of the Reformation. How 
dark and gloomy was the spiritual condition 
of the people in the beginning of the Refor- 
mation ! Nearly every trace of the pure wor- 
ship of God had disappeared, and idolatry, 
image and saint- worship, and every variety 
of human traditions, were introduced in its 
stead. Only here and there a serious and en- 
lightened soul could be found, who was strug- 
gling to be saved in the " Old Way." 

8) In the Present Day. It is supposed by 
Prof. Alexander J. Schem, who has given the 
subject considerable attention, that, as near as 
it is possible to ascertain from the most 
authentic and reliable sources, the popula- 
tion of the earth is at present about thirteen 
hundred and fifty millions two hundred thou- 



THE OLD WAY. 63 

sand (1,350,200,000). The population is di- 
vided as follows : 

America .... 72,800,000 

Europe .... 287,000,000 

Asia 798,600,000 

Africa .... 188,000,000 

Australasia and Polynesia . 3,800,000 



Total population . 1,350,200,000 

Of these, the Professor states, three hundred 
and sixty-nine millions, four hundred thousand 
(369,400,000) are Christians. In this state- 
ment are included Eoman Catholics, Greeks, 
Armenians, Nestorians, Abyssinians, Protes- 
tants and all nominal Christians. According 
to the above computation there would be 
about nine hundred and eighty millions, 
eight hundred thousand (980,800,000) human 
beings, including Pagans, Mohammedans, 
and Jews, who have no knowledge of Jesus 
Christ, the Way of Life, and only the com- 
paratively insignificant number given above, 

who profess to believe in him. The spiritual 

5^ 



54 THE OLD WAY. 

condition of the Roman Catholic and Eastern 
churches is truly deplorable, and in a large 
portion of the Protestant churches it is no 
better. How many Protestants, — and by Pro- 
testants I mean all such who do not belong 
to either the Roman Catholic, Greek, or one 
of the other Eastern Episcopal communions, 
and their whole number is only ninety-six 
millions, nine hundred thousand (96,900,000), 
— are rank Rationalists, and numerous others, 
as for instance the Unitarians, Universalists, 
Mormons, etc., deny some of the cardinal 
doctrines of Christianity ! I do not wish to 
be understood, however, as if I entertained 
the opinion that only Protestants were saved. 
The Lord forbid ! I do not believe that all 
Protestants are saved, nor that all others are 
lost. There are, undoubtedly, some serious 
and upright souls in other communions, who, 
notwithstanding the numerous human tradi- 
tions, find the "Old ^Yay," and are saved. 
"With regard to the innocents in the whole 



THE OLD WAY. 55 

world, I would observe, that, according to my 
understanding of the Word of God, they are 
saved without exception by the merits of the 
blessed Eedeemer, for He himself declared 
concerning them: "for of such is the kingdom 
of God." {Marh x. 14.) 

If we, however, subtract from Christendom 
every swearer^ blasphemer, sabbath-breaker, 
glutton, reveller, perjurer, brawler, envious, 
malevolent, proud, high-minded, vain-glori- 
ous, boaster, truce-breaker, traitor, oppressor, 
extortioner, offender, obstinate, covetous, pas- 
sionate, whoremonger, adulterer, thief, robber, 
murderer, effeminate, scorner, false accuser, 
re viler, abuser of himself with mankind, in- 
continent, drunkard, despiser of those that 
are good, lover of pleasure more than lover 
of God, etc.; (for such characters cannot in- 
herit the kingdom of God, 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10; 
(raZ. V. 19-21;) furthermore, the prayerless, 
and their name is legion, and all hypocrites, 
which are only apparent followers of the 



56 THE OLD WAY. 

blessed Jesus; and finally all impenitent; then 
it will be obvious to the candid and impartial 
reader, that also only comparatively very few 
are found in the " Old Way " in the present 
age. Oh, how exceedingly little is this 
way regarded ! How incredibly few walk 
therein ! 

" Tlie King's Mgtway : tow narrow is the road. 
How few there be that find it; yet the abode 
Of God — the Christian's home — lies at the end. 
And none can reach the goal but they who bend 
With purpose all unyielding — steady, true, 
And step undaunted, though all hell pursue." 





CHAPTEE IV. 
THE METHOD OF THE OLD WAY. 

BEPENTANCE — FAITH — DENOMINATIONAL TESTI- 
MONIES. 

T will now be necessary to explain 
how we are saved in the " Old Way.'' 
The Method, as well as the Way, 
, las been invariably the same in every period 
of the world. We are saved upon the same 
conditions now, upon which the prophets and 
patriarchs were saved. The character of God, 
the constitution of man, and the necessary re- 
lation between them as such, are of such a 
nature that there can be but one way, and 
consequently but one set of conditions of sal- 
vation for the human race, before and after the 

advent of Christ. The New Testament teaches 

67 



58 THE OLD WAY. 

nothing different from the Old in this respect. 
There is, indeed, really nothing pertaining to 
religion and morals which is not to be found 
in the Old Testament. It is true, its teach- 
ings, numerous as they are, are still more en- 
larged and elaborated in the New Testament, 
but not a single essentially new principle, 
tenet, or doctrine is added. The Method of 
Salvation includes Repentance, Faith, Justifi- 
cation, Kegeneration, Sanctification, and Ad- 
vancement in the Divine life. Permit me 
now to direct the reader's attention to the 
Doctrine of 

I. Repentance. The term repentance signi- 
fies a change of mind, or after-thought, and 
when applied to man religiously, it signifies a 
change in the disposition of the mind from 
what is evil to that which is good. " In the 
Holy Scriptures it is taken, firstj in a general 
sense for the whole work of the sinner's con- 
version to God, so that it comprises in its 
meaning a knowledge and confession of sin, 



THE OLD WAY. 59 

heartfelt sorrow on account of them, and faith 
in the Redeemer, as in Matt. ix. 13; Inihe xv. 
7; secondly, in a particular and restricted 
sense, for the penitent sorrow and concern of 
the soul over past sins, as in Marh i. 15; Ads 
XX. 21, and in other places, where the word 
faith is connected with it." (G^. Buechner,) 
In this latter sense, I shall endeavor to discuss 
the subject, and afterwards also consider the 
subject of faith by itself. 

Repentance concerns only the unregenerate. 
It is true, we hear occasionally of the re- 
pentance of believers, and sometimes read, in 
otherwise useful and edifying books, of a daily 
repentance ; however, we can discover nothing 
of such a nature in the Sacred Scriptures. The 
following extract from an old book places the 
subject in the proper light : " When the Holy 
Scriptures has to do with upright worshippers 
of God, with true Christians, they demand not 
repentance of them ; but exhort them to per- 
severe and progress in doing good, to walk 



60 THE OLD WAY. 

circumspectly, to set others a good example, 
etc. The repentance, which the Christian re- 
ligion requires of man, and with which it 
connects the remission of sins and the hope of 
eternal life, is absolutely not anything which 
can be often, or daily repeated. Whoever sins 
daily and deliberately, has never truly re- 
pented, and is not repenting, he may pray and 
weep ever so much; and whoever truly re- 
pented once, or changed his mind and life in 
accordance with the precepts of Christianity, 
will no longer sin deliberately, and will, 
therefore, have no occasion for repentance, 

or to change the mind anew, etc 

In short, repentance is not a virtue or 
duty, which we can and must exercise daily, 
but an action, or a result of actions and efforts, 
whereby we become willing and qualify our- 
selves for the daily exercise of virtue, and the 
constant discharge of our duties. Whoever, 
therefore, has occasion daily to repent, will 
find it to be as impossible to be virtuous and 



THE OLD WAY. 61 

pious, as a person can be healthy and strong, 
who has daily occasion to use medicine. Sus- 
tenance we need daily, but not medicine. In 
virtue and godliness we must exercise our- 
selves daily by prayer and meditation, but not 
in repentance, if we once can make a legiti- 
mate claim upon the name of a Christian.^' * 

The Necessity of Kepentance is evident from 
numerous passages of the Word of God. 
" The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit ; a 
broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt 
not despise." {Ps. li. 17.) " For thus saith the 
high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, 
whose name is Holy ; I dwell in the high and 
holy place, with him also that is of a contrite 
and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the 
humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite 
ones." {Isa. Ivii. 15.) "Thus it is written, 
and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to 
rise from the dead the third day; and that 

* Erbauliches Gehethuch ; und Unterhaltungen mit Gott 
zuT Befbrderung der h'duslichen Gottesverehrung, etc. 
6 



62 THE OLD WAY. 

repentance and remission of sins should be 
preached in his name among all nations, be- 
ginning at Jerusalem.'' [Luhe xxiv. 46, 47 ; 
Matt. iv. 17 ; Mark vi. 12 ; AcU ii. 38 ; iii. 19.) 
"And the times of this ignorance God winked 
at ; but now commandeth all men everywhere 
to repent." {Acts xvii. 30.) 

In examining this doctrine, let us inquire, 
What is properly included in evangelical 
repentance ? 

1. A Correct Knowledge or Conviction of Sin, 
"My sin is ever before me." {Ps. li. 3.) 
The sinner must become thoroughly acquainted 
with himself. He must behold his wretched 
condition in the light of the Spirit and Word 
of God ; for by nature " all are sinners and 
have come short of the glory of God," {Rom. iii. 
23 ;) all, " like sheep, have gone astray," {Isa. 
liii. 6,) and, like the prodigal son, are remote 
from their Father's house. (Luke xv.) When 
he comes to a true sense of his lost condition, 
and perceives how frequently he has sinned 



THE OLD WAY. 63 

with a high hand against God, in thought, in 
word and deed, not only by wilful transgres- 
sion, but by sins of omission, he feels guilty 
and condemned, sees himself as the chief of 
sinners, and exclaims : 

"0 Lord, how vile am I, 
• Unholy and unclean ! 

How can I dare to venture nigh 
With such a load of sin? 

"Is this polluted heart 

A dwelling fit for thee ? 
Swarming, alas ! in every part, 
What evils do I see !" 

2. Genuine Sorrow for Sin. "A broken and 
contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." 
(Ps. li. 17.) He who has never felt the 
burden of his sins can have no correct con- 
ception of the true nature of repentance. There 
is no distress so great, and no pain so piercing, 
as the anguish of the soul who is thoroughly 
convicted of sin. Such a person is truly 
broken-hearted, weeps bitterly, and mourns 
over all his sins. He trembles at the Word 



64 THE OLD WAY. 

of God, and humbles himself before his 
Maker. He writhes like a worm in the dust, 
and exclaims: "1 abhor myself, and repent 
in dust and ashes." {Job xlii. 6.) "I am 
weary with my groaning ; all the night make 
I my bed to swim ; I water my couch with 
my tears. Mine eye is consumed because of 
grief; it waxeth old because of all mine 
enemies." (Ps. vi. 6, 7; xxxviii. 6-10; cxvi. 
3, 4.) Sometimes ignorant and inexperienced 
persons are inclined to ascribe this sorrow for 
sin to melancholy, or a morbid disposition of 
the mind. Indeed, there have been instances 
in which medicines were prescribed to persons 
under conviction, and they were also advised 
to associate with the worldly and gay, in 
order, as they were informed, to banish such 
foolish thoughts from their minds lest they 
might become deranged. Deplorable igno- 
rance! Inexcusable folly ! There is no danger 
of any one becoming deranged under such 
circumstances, unless a person deliberately 



THE OLD WAY. 65 

resists the Holy Ghost; "for godly sorrow 
worketh repentance to salvation not to be 
repented of." (2 Cor, vii. 10.) 

" With tears of anguish I lament. 
Here at thj feet, my God, 
My passion, pride, and discontent, 
And vile ingratitude. 

" Sure there was ne'er heart so base. 
So false as mine has been, 
So faithless to its promises. 
So prone to every sin." 

3. Confession of Sin. "He that covereth 

his sins shall not prosper; but whoso con- 

fesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.'' 

{Prov. xxviii. 13.) "If we confess our sins, 

he is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and 

to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." {IJolin 

i. 9.) This confession must be unreserved 

and sincere. There is nothing concealed 

before God, who "trieth the hearts and 

reins," {Fs. vii. 9,) "and understandeth our 

thoughts afar off." (Ps. cxxxix. 2.) Without 

unreserved confession before God, and in some 
6* E 



66 THE OLD WAY. 

instances before man, (as when we have inten- 
tionally wronged any one,) we cannot expect 
pardon. " If I regard iniquity in my heart, 
the Lord will not hear me.'^ (Ps. Ixvi. 18.) In 
every case where a person has taken advantage 
of, or defrauded another, the guilty party 
must make restitution according to the best 
of his ability, (Luke xix. 8,) if he would 
find acceptance with God. 

** Humbly on thee I wait, 
Confessing all my sin ; 
Lord, I am knocking at the gate — 
Open, and take me in ! 

*' hearken to my voice — 
Give ear to my complaint ! 
Thou bidd'st the mourning soul rejoice, 
Thou comfortest the faint." 

4. Willingness to Renounce and Forsake 
all Sin, "Let the wicked forsake his way, 
and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and 
let him return unto the Lord, and he will 
have mercy upon him ; and to our God, for 



THE OLD WAY. 67 

he will abundantly pardon." {Isa. Iv. 7.) 
Without renouncing sin, the most humbling 
expressions, and openhearted confessions, the 
greatest distress of conscience, or flood of tears, 
will avail nothing. Whoever is not willing 
to forsake all, does not truly repent, and never 
can be a true disciple of Jesus. (Luke xiv. 33 ; 
2 Cor. vL 17, 18.) 

" Come, my fond, fluttering heart, 

Come, struggle to be free, 
Thou and the world must part, 

However hard it be ; 
My trembling spirit owns it just, 
But cleaves yet closer to the dust. 

**Ye tempting sweets, forbear! 

Ye dearest idols, fall! 
My love ye must not share, 

Jesus shall have it all: 
'Tis bitter pain, 'tis cruel smart. 
But ah ! thou must consent, my heart." 

5. Prayer for the Remission of Sin. Scrip- 
tural repentance includes not only knowledge 
of, and sorrow for sin, confession of, and will- 



g3 THE OLD WAY. 

ingness to renounce it, but also prayer for its 
forgiveness. " Hear my prayer, O Lord, give 
ear to my supplication; in thy faithfulness 
answer me, and in thy righteousness. And 
enter not into judgment with thy servant ; for 
in thy sight shall no man living be justified." 
{Ps. cxliii. 1, 2; xl. 1-3.) "Ask and it shall 
be given you ; seek and ye shall find ; knock 
and it shall be opened unto you." {MaU. vii. 
7, 8.) No matter how numerous your sins 
may be, if you comply with the. requisitions 
of the Gospel, you shall obtain forgiveness ; 
for " our God will abundantly pardon." {Isa. 
Iv. 7.) " Though your sins be as scarlet, they 
shall be white as snow ; though they be red 
like crimson, they shall be as wool." {Isa. i. 
18.) " Where sin abounded, grace did much 
more abound." (Rom. v. 20.) 

"'Tis mercy, mercy, now I plead; 
Let thy compassion move: 
Mercy, that led thee once to bleed, 
In tenderness and love. 



THE OLD WAY. 69 

"In mercy, now, for Jesus' sake, 
My God, my sins forgive; 
Thy grace my stubborn heart can break, 
And, breaking, bid me live." 

I will now give the testimonies of several 
Christian denominations on this subject. 

I. Episcopal Church. "Eepentance, a 
sincere contrition for all past offences, and a 
resolution to renounce in future every species 
of sin." — Bishop Porteus, 

II. Moravian Church. "True repent- 
ance is not a legal fear of punishment, but a 
genuine contrition for, and a hatred of sin. 
To repent is to be convinced of sin, and to 
acknowledge, abhor and forsake it. True 
repentance will, therefore, be accompanied by 
an entire change (conversion) of the heart, 
will, and character." — Catechism. 

III. Lutheran Church. " Genuine and 
true repentance properly consists in contrition 
and sorrow, or terror on account of sin." — 
Augsburg Confession, 



70 THE OLD WAY. 

ly . Reformed Chuech. " True repent- 
ance is a turning to God from the devil, sin, 
and their old nature. . . . True repentance is 
followed by conversion and obedience, arid in 
proportion to its depth is the old man mor- 
tified and the desire for righteousness in- 
creased." — Ur sinus. 

Y. Presbyterian Church. "Repent- 
ance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a 
sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and ap- 
prehension of the mercy of God in Christ, 
doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn 
from it unto God, with full purpose of, and 
endeavor after new obedience." — Shorter Cate- 
chism. 

YI. Baptist Church. "Repentance is 
a holy duty, and is wrought in our souls by 
the regenerating Spirit of God, whereby, being 
deeply convinced of our guilt, danger, and 
helplessness, and of the way of salvation by 
Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned 



THE OLD WAY. 71 

contrition, confession, and supplication for 
mercy." * 

y II. Methodist Church. " Repentance 
implies that a measure of Divine wisdom is 
communicated to the sinner, and that he 
thereby becomes wise to salvation. That his 
mind, purposes, opinions, and inclinations are 
changed ; and that, in consequence, there is a 
total change in his conduct. In this state, a 
man feels deep anguish of soul, because he has 
sinned against God, unfitted himself for hea- 
ven, and exposed his soul to hell. Hence, a 
true penitent has that sorrow, whereby he for- 

* Baptist Confession of Faith. The Baptist Church in 
general has no regular Confession of Faith, except, as 
their members say, the Bible ! The one from which I 
have taken this extract, is, however, pretty generally 
adopted by the Baptists of this country, and agrees with 
the leading doctrines of the Baptist Church in general. 
I would also observe, that the extracts on faith, (repent- 
ance and faith stand connected in the same article, but 
for convenience sake, I have separated them,) justifica- 
tion, regeneration, and sanctification, which represent 
the Baptist Church in this work, are taken from the 
same source. 



72 THE OLD WAT. 

sakes sin, not only because it has been ruinons 
to his own soul, but because it has been offen- 
sive to God/^ — Dr. A. Clarke. 

VIII. United Beethben in Christ, 
'^ That which repentance presupposes, or, more 
properly said, implies, namely, knowledge and 
confession of sin and moral pollution, contri- 
tion for, and a determination to forsake sin, 
and consecrate one's self to the Lord and his 
service, must, therefore, be a matter of the 
heart, and not merely an external form.'^ — X. 
Peters. 

IX. Evangelical Assckieation. "Repent- 
ance is a change of mind, whereby man turns 
from sin to God, seeking his favor,'' and does 
especially belong to it, " That with shame 
and sorrow we acknowledge and confess our 
sins, and heartily repent of them, with full 
purpose of heart endeavoring to submit our- 
selves in obedience to God." — Catechism. 

In these extracts we have the doctrine of 
repentance as taught by different Christian 



THE OLD WAY. 73 

denominations. However much they may 
deviate from each other in their expressions, 
in presenting the doctrine, yet in substance 
they teach the same thing. Nevertheless, 
however profound repentance may be, however 
seriously, ardently, and perseveringly a person 
may implore forgiveness, yet no one can merit, 
or secure the favor of God, by it. In order 
to obtain pardon, true faith must be united 
with repentance. This will afford us the op- 
portunity of taking the subject of Faith into 
consideration. 

II. Faith. " Faith is the assent of the un- 
derstanding to any truth. Eeligious faith is 
the assent to the truth of Divine Revelation, 
and of events and doctrines contained in it. 
This may be merely historical, without pro- 
ducing any effect on our lives and conversa- 
tion ; and it is then a dead faith, such as even 
the devils have. But a living or saving 
faith not only believes the great doctrines of 
religion as true, but embraces them with the 



74 THE OLD WAY. 

heart and affections ; and is thus the source 
of sincere obedience to the divine will, ex- 
hibited in the life and conversation." * There 
is a great deal said in the present day concern- 
ing faith, of " embracing faith," " falling from 
faith," etc. Indeed, nearly everybody claims 
to be a believer, and professes to be a possessor 
of saving faith. But alas ! the language of 
the apostle is only too applicable to a large 
number of these characters. "They profess 
that they know God ; but in works they deny 
him, being abominable, and disobedient, and 
unto every good work reprobate," (Tit. i, 
16;) they are "lovers of their own selves, 
covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, dis- 
obedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, with- 
out natural affection, truce-breakers, false ac- 
cusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those 
that are good, traitors, high-minded, lovers 
of pleasures more than lovers of God; having 
the form of godliness, but denying the power 

* Bible Dictionary. 



THE OLD WAY. 75 

thereof." (2 Tim. iii. 2-4.) These characters 
are indifferent about spiritual matters, live 
prayerless and in open violation of God's holy 
law. Yet, notwithstanding, they flatter them- 
selves, because their names are standing on 
the Record of some church, because they at- 
tend divine services and commune occasionally, 
that they are true believers, and will ultimately 
be saved. How fearfully deceived will such 
individuals be in the solemn hour of death, 
and in the day of final retribution ! 

Saving faith consists not, in memorizing the 
contents of a catechism, subscribing to the 
truth of any particular creed, or in a correct 
conception of the truth of Divine Revelation, 
and of the events and doctrines contained there- 
in. We may find this to exist among the most 
profligate and vicious, such is a dead faith, 
which even devils may possess, [Jas. ii. 19;) 
but saving faith is essentially a matter of the 
heart. " With the heart man believeth unto 
righteousness." {Rom. x. 10.) It is not, as 



76 THE OLD WAY. 

already indicated, only believing with the un- 
derstanding the doctrines of the gospel to be 
true, but embracing them with all the heart 
and affections, and it thus becomes the source 
of sincere obedience to the will of the Most 
High, and will exhibit itself in the life and 
conversation of every true believer. 

The [N'ecessity of Faith is evident from the 
Old and IS'ew Testament. "Believe in the 
Lord your God, so shall ye be established.^' 
(2 Chron, xx. 20.) "The just shall live by 
faith." {Hah. ii. 4.) "Now faith is the sub- 
stance of things hoped for the evidence of 
things not seen." {Heb. xi. 1.) " Without faith 
it is impossible to please Him," [Heb. xi. 6 ;) 
" But he that believeth not shall be damned/' 
{Mark xvi. 16.) 

Saving faith properly includes : 

1. Knowledge. "VYithout knowledge there 
is no faith possible. " How shall they believe 
in him of whom they have not heard ? " (Rom. 
X. 14.) A correct knowledge of God, of the 



THE OLD WAY. 77 

plan of salvation and of ourselves, is indispen- 
sable before we can obtain saving faith. This 
knowledge is derived from the Word of God, 
written or preached. " Search the Scriptures ; 
for in them ye think ye have eternal life ; and 
they are they which testify of me." {John v. 39.) 
"Faith Cometh by hearing^ and hearing by 
the Word of God." (Bom. x. 17.) "The holy 
scriptures, which are able to make thee wise 
unto salvation through faith which is in 
Christ Jesus." (2 Tim. iii. 15, 16.) 

2. Assent. Assent to all the truths which 
are revealed in the Sacred Scriptures, concern- 
ing God, his nature, essence, attributes ; con- 
cerning Jesus, his life, sufferings, shedding of 
blood, sacrificial death and purchased redemp- 
tion, pardon, adoption, and salvation. Thus 
far, properly speaking, historical faith ex- 
tends. Such a faith, however, is not suffi- 
cient to save us ; yet, notwithstanding, many 
persons content themselves therewith, and lose 
their souls. Historical faith is nevertheless 



78 THE OLD WAY. 

necessary, as it always precedes saving faith ; 
for without it the latter could not be called 
into existence. " He that cometh to God must 
believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of 
them that diligently seek him." (Heb. xi. 6.) 

3. Confidence. Implicit confidence or reli- 
ance in the grace of God in Jesus Christ, in 
the merits of his death, and resurrection, ap- 
propriating him as the only Mediator and 
Redeemer with all the heart as a personal 
Saviour, a determination to seek all in and 
through him, what is necessary to salvation 
and happiness, and to rely steadfastly and im- 
movably upon his precious merits in life and 
death, in time and eternity. Whenever these 
three particulars unite, then living faith in 
Christ — the true Christian and only saving 
faith — is produced. 

This accords with the teachings of the dif- 
ferent Christian denominations on this subject. 

I. Episcopal Church. "This faith is 
not a mere assent, a mere historical notion, a 



THE OLD WAY. 79 

mere agreement with a national (or any other) 
creed, a mere non-resistance of certain practi- 
cal truths, but it is a spiritual, holy disposi- 
tion of mind, produced by the Holy Spirit." — 
D, Wilson, 

II. Moravian Choech. " True faith in 
Jesus Christ is the firm conviction that the 
living God, as man, has suffered and died for 
me, a poor sinner, in order to free me from sin, 
and from its punishment." 

" True living faith is a conviction and ex- 
perience of the heart which becomes apparent 
by a changed life." — Catechism. 

III. Lutheran Church. "True faith 
is a firm reliance on the grace of Christ, and 
is wrought in us by the Holy Spirit." — Smaller 
Catechism. 

TV. Reformed Church. " True faith is 
not only a certain knowledge, whereby I hold 
for truth all that God has revealed to us in his 
word; but also an assured confidence which 
the Holy Ghost works by the Gospel in my 



80 THE OLD WAY. 

heart, that not only to others, but to me also, 
remission of sin, everlasting righteousness and 
salvEPtion, are freely given by God, merely of 
grace, only for the sake of Christ's merits." — 
Heidelberg Catechism, 

Y. Presbyteeian Chuech. "Faith in 
Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we re- 
ceive and rest upon him alone for salvation, 
as he is offered to us in the Gospel.'' — Shorter 
Catechism. 

YI. Baptist Chuech. " Faith is wrought 
by the regenerating Spirit of God, when 
we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, 
confession, and supplication for mercy, heart- 
ily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as our 
Prophet, Priest, and King, and relying on Him 
alone as the only and all-sufficient Saviour." — 
Confession of Faith, 

YII. Methodist Chuech. "Christian 
faith is not only an assent to the whole Gospel 
of Christ, but also a full reliance on the blood 
of Christ; a trust in the merits of his life, 



THE OLD WAY. 81 

death, and resurrection; or recumbency upon 
him as our atonement and our life, as given for 
us, and living in its." — J. Wesley. 

VIII. United Beethren in Christ. 
"It implies a hearty conGurrenee of the will 
and affections in the plan of salvation, and a 
cheerful obedience to all the Divine require- 
ments. It is a firm reliance or trust in God 
for salvation through the blood of Christ, as 
the only means by which our guilt and pollu- 
tion may be removed.^' — D. K. Flichinger. 

IX. Evangelical, Association. " True 
faith is a living confidence in the grace and 
mercy of God, or a firm assurance of the suf- 
ficiency of the merits of Christ for our salva- 
tion, and the taking hold and appropriating 
of his merits." • — Catechism. 

All men have not this faith. (2 Thess. iii. 
2.) Whoever is not in possession of such a 
faith, no matter to which branch of the Church 
he may belong, is no true Christian, and can 
never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. But 



82 THE OLD WAY. 

by his own power and understanding, man 
cannot appropriate Christ, cannot confiden- 
tially believe in him unto salvation. The 
Holy Spirit must, therefore, prepare the mind 
and heart, and impart the ability thus to 
believe. It is true, the proper act of faith is 
the work of man, but the ability to exercise 
it must proceed from above. 

Saving faith commences with repentance. 
Without true sorrow for sin, the exercise of 
living faith is utterly impossible. If we have 
never truly repented of our sins, we must not 
flatter ourselves to possess saving faith. The 
supposed faith of impenitent persons, how- 
ever moral their external deportment may be, 
is a counterfeit, a vain illusion, an air-castle, 
and plunges the individual who relies upon 
it into eternal destruction. That devoted 
man of God, J. G. Brastberger, an eminent 
minister of the Lutheran Church, says, in one 
of his sermons concerning this subject: "The 
faith which is not accompanied by a powerful 



THE OLD WAY. 83 

savor is a miserable faith. And such is the 
faith of all unconverted persons; they believe 
in their opinion, and yet they do not possess 
what they believe ; they believe in a Saviour, 
and yet are unsaved ; they believe in Christ 
an anointed, yet possess not a particle of the 
unction of the Holy Spirit ; they believe in a 
Redeemer, and yet they are under the dominion 
of the devil, of sin and death ; they believe 
in the remission of sins, and yet have a guilty 
conscience. What for a faith is this? An 
idle creation of the brain, an empty dream, a 
powerless imagination. The faith of true 
Christians is something quite different : it is 
a saving (according to the German, a happy- 
making) faith ; it makes them a happy people, 
and enables them to taste and enjoy what 
they believe." He further observes, "Him 
(the Holy Spirit) have true Christians in their 
hearts ; through it, faith has been kindled in 
repentance, when under the terrors of death.'' 
Saving faith is also beautifully described by 



84 THE OLD WAY. 

Loskiel, a pious divine of the Moravian 
Church. He says : " This faith is nothing less 
than the coming of the weary and heavy- 
laden to Him, who calls him, and gives him 
rest; the union of the diseased heart with its 
Physician, the bound with his Redeemer, one 
in need of reconciliation with his Mediator ; 
the poor, who needs pardon with Him, who 
alone has power to forgive all sins ; the sinner 
with the Sin-Destroyer, the sufferer with the 
Succorer, the wretched sinner with the Sa- 
viour, with Jesus Christ himself, with his 
person." 

Reader, do you possess this faith? This 
faith alone is the means of obtaining salvation, 
not meritoriously, but instrumental ly. With- 
out it no justification, no regeneration, no 
sanctification, no growth in grace, no Chris- 
tian maturity, no final salvation is possible. 
May God in his infinite mercy grant this faith 
to every one ! 



THE OLD WAY. 85 

" Vain are your fancy's airy flights, 

If faith be cold and dead ; 

None but a living power unites 

To Christ, the living Head. 

'♦That faith that changes all the heart. 
That faith that works by love. 
That bids all sinful joys depart, 
And lifts the thoughts above : 

<' That faith that conquers earth and hell 
By a celestial power; 
That is the faith that shall prevail 
In the decisive hour." 
8 



CHAPTER Y. 



THE METHOD OF THE OLD WAY. 

(Continued.) 

justificatio]!t — eegeneration — sanctification 
— denominational testimonies. 




HOEVER desires to gain admit- 
tance into the Kingdom of Heaven, 
must experience a great change in 
regard to his relations to God, his moral na- 
ture and personal character, as in his natural 
and sinful condition man is not a fit subject for 
the Mansions of Eternal Glory. He must 
realize a thorough work in Christ — Justifica- 
tion, Regeneration, and Sanctification — in order 
to become qualified and worthy for the '* in- 
heritance of the saints in light." The experi- 
ence of this work, or the different divisions 

86 



THE OLD WAY. 87 

thereof, is conditioned upon faith, the faith 
described in the preceding chapter. Let us 
now examine these different divisions in regu- 
lar order. 

I. Justifieation. The word justify is a foren- 
sic term, and denotes the acquittal of a person, 
tried by a court, upon an accusation of a crime. 
A subject of law is justified only when he is 
perfectly just, that is, when he has completely 
obeyed and fulfilled every requirement of the 
law. Justification, when extended to sinners, 
must necessarily be something widely different 
from justification under the law. The term 
is not used by the inspired writers in its ori- 
ginal meaning; but because the term, figura- 
tively used, better expresses the thing intended 
than any other. " The act of God denoted by 
this term and used in the Gospel,^ says Dr. T. 
D wight, "so much resembles a forensic justifi- 
cation, or justification by law, that the word is 
naturally, and by an easy translation, adapted 
to express the adP 



88 THE OLD WAY. 

The Doctrine of Justification is clearly 
taught in the Word of God. "And he believed 
in the Lord ; and he counted it to him for 
righteousness," {Gen. xv. 6;) "Blessed is he 
whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is 
covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the 
Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in whose 
spirit there is no guile,'' (Ps. xxxii. 1, 2;) 
" Being justified freely by his grace, through 
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus," [Bom. 
iii. 24-26;) "Therefore being justified by 
faith, we have peace with God, through our 
Lord Jesus Christ." [Rom. v. 1 ; Gal. ii. 16.) 

The Necessity of Justification is evident 
from the following considerations. Man is 
by nature a sinner. The great Jehovah is the 
Lawgiver of all men. His laws are holy, just, 
and good, and are binding upon all the nations 
of the earth. But puny man has rebelled 
against the authority of his Creator, trans- 
gressed his lavvs and offended the Divine 
majesty. This humiliating truth is promi- 



THE OLD WAY. 89 

nently set forth in the pages of Divine Reve- 
lation. " The Lord looked down from heaven 
upon the children of men, to see if there were 
any that did understand, and seek God. They 
are all gone aside, they are all together become 
filthy ; there is none that doeth good, no, not 
one,^' [Ps. xiv. 2, 3;) "Their throat is an 
open sepulchre ; with their tongues they have 
used deceit ; the poison of asps is under their 
lips ; whose mouth is full of cursing and bit- 
terness; their feet are swift to shed blood; 
destruction and misery are in their ways ; and 
the way of peace have they not known ; there 
is no fear of God before their eyes.'' (Rom. iii. 
10-19.) In such a state, man is guilty and 
deserving of punishment. "God is angry 
with the wicked every day," {Ps. vii. 11 ;) 
" The soul that sinneth it shall die," [Ezek. 
xviii. 4;) "The wrath of God abideth on 
him." (John iii. 36.) Consequently, if the 
sinner is not pardoned, or justified, he will 

inevitably perish and be lost forever. " Know 

8* 



90 THE OLD WAY. 

ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit 
the kingdom of God/' (1 Cor. vi. 9, 10 ; Gal 
V. 19-21.) 

The Procuring Cause of Justification is 
our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 
" Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried 
our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken 
and smitten of God and afflicted. But he was 
wounded for our transgression, he was bruised 
for our iniquities; the chastisement of our 
peace was upon him ; and with his stripes we 
are healed/' (Isa. liii. 4, 5 ;) " Who was de- 
livered for our offences, and was raised again 
for our justification," {Rom. iv. 25,) "who of 
God is made unto us wisdom and righteous- 
ness," (1 Cor. i. 30,) and " in whom we have 
redemption through his blood, the forgiveness 
of sins." {Eph. i. 7.) 

Yes, the blessed Jesus, by his voluntary 
sacrifice, by his bitter passion, shedding of 
blood and ignominious death on the accursed 
tree, on the cross of Calvary, rendered com- 



THE OLD WAY. 91 

plete satisfaction to all demands of the law, 
and the requirements of the sinner's case. He 
fulfilled the law, the whole law, and wrought 
out a complete salvation for the entire human 
race, for every son and daughter of Adam. 
He paid the ransom for our deliverance from 
captivity, his most precious blood satisfied all 
demands of Divine justice, and he has thus 
become a Saviour and Redeemer, who "is 
able also to save to the uttermost who come 
unto God by him,^^ and at his name every 
knee shall bow and every tongue swear and 
confess, "In the Lord have I righteousness 
and strength.'' {Isa. xlv. 24; Phil ii. 9-11.) 

«'Our sins on Christ were laid; 
He bore the mighty load ; 
Our ransom-price he fully paid 
In groans, and tears, and blood. 

"Pardon and peace abound; 
He will our sins forgive; 
Salvation in his name is found, — 
He bids the sinner live." 



92 THE OLD WAY. 

I will now give the Denominational testi- 
monies on this subject. 

I. Episcopal Church. "God's justify- 
ing us doth solely, or chiefly, import His ac- 
quitting us from guilt, condemnation, and 
punishment by free pardon and remission of 
our sins, accounting us and dealing with us as 
just persons, upright and innocent in His 
sight and esteem." — Dr. L Barrow, 

II. Moravian Church. "Justification 
consists in this, that a person, who by the grace 
of God is brought to a sense of his sin and 
misery, and in such condition comes to Christ 
by faith, has all his sins pardoned for the sake 
of the blood and death of Christ." — A. G, 
Spangenherg, 

III. Lutheran Church. ""We cannot 
obtain righteousness and the forgiveness of 
sin before God by our own merits, works, and 
atonement; but we obtain the remission of 
sins, and are justified before God, by grace, for 
Christ's sake, through faith, if we believe that 



THE OLD WAY. 93 

Christ suffered for us, and for his sake our 
sins are remitted unto us, and righteousness 
and eternal life are bestowed on us." — Augs- 
burg Confession. 

ly. Reformed Church. "Justification 
is an act of God's free grace, whereby he 
acquits the penitent and believing sinner of 
all his sins, and the punishment due to sin, 
and grants him a right and title to eternal 
life, only on account of the righteousness of 
Christ, imputed to him by faith." — S. Helf en- 
stein, D.D. 

Y. Presbyterian Church. "Justifica- 
tion is an act of God's free grace, wherein he 
pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as 
righteous, only for the righteousness of Christ 
imputed to us, and received by faith alone." — 
Shorter Catechism. 

YI. Baptist Church. " Justification in- 
cludes the pardon of sin, and the promise of 
eternal life on the principles of righteousness ; 
it is bestowed, not in consideration of any 



94 THE OLD WAY. 

works of righteousness which we have done, 
hut solely through faith in the Redeemer's 
blood ; by virtue of which faith His perfect 
righteousness is freely imputed to us of God." 
Confession of Faith. 

YII. Methodist Church. "The plain 
scriptural notion of justification is pardon, the 
forgiveness of sins. It is the act of God the 
Father, whereby, for the sake of the propitia- 
tion made by the blood of his Son, he 'show- 
eth forth his righteousness (or mercy) by the re- 
mission of the sins that are past.' '^ — J. Wesley, 

YIII. United Brethren in Christ. 
" It is an act of God's free grace, by which he 
grants pardon to all penitent believers, and 
accepts them as righteous in his sight, by vir- 
tue of -Christ's atonement." — D. K. Flickinger. 

IX. Evangelical Association. "Jus- 
tification is an act of God's free grace, whereby 
he pardons all our sins, and considers us as 
righteous, only and solely for the sake of 
Christ." — Catechism, 



THE OLD WAY. 96 

The reader, no doubt, will observe different 
forms of expressions in the extracts on this 
subject. While some define justification, sim- 
ply to mean the remission of sins and acquittal 
from the guilt and penalty thereof, others 
assert, that it consists in the imputation of the 
perfect righteousness of Christ to the sinner, 
and that he is on that account acknowledged 
as righteous in the sight of God. This subject 
has very frequently occasioned bitter disputa- 
tions and strife among graceless professors of 
religion. The difference, however, is really 
more in the conception of the idea, than in the 
reality and experience of the matter. Much 
unpleasantness might be prevented in the 
world, if persons would only always under- 
stand each other correctly. That eminent 
man of God, J. Wesley, says : " Abundance 
of disputes arise purely from want of this, 
from mere misapprehension. Frequently nei- 
ther of the contending parties understands 
what his opponent means : whence it follows, 



yb THE OLD WAY. 

that each violently attacks the other, while 
there is no real difference between them." 

It is true beyond controversy, that the 
righteousness of Christ is inseparably con- 
nected with our justification and salvation. 
It is a pillar and foundation of saving faith. 
As soon as a person believes with all the heart, 
the righteousness of Christ becomes his prop- 
erty. It is imputed to every penitent sinner, 
in a certain sense, as soon as he believes; 
because whoever believes according to the 
Scriptures, believes in the righteousness of 
Christ. There is no pardon, no acquittal from 
the guilt and penalty of sin, where the right- 
eousness of Christ is not the efficient cause. 
In this particular, all orthodox Christians 
agree. The inquiry now arises. In what sense 
is Christ's righteousness imputed to the peni- 
tent and believing sinner in justification ? I 
would answer in the language of J. Wesley, 
" All believers are forgiven and accepted, riot 
for the sake of anything in them, but wholly 



THE OLD WAY. 97 

and solely for the sake of what Christ has done 
and suffered for them. I say again, not for the 
sake of anything in them, or done by them, of 
their own righteousness or works; ^Not for 
works of righteousness which we have done, but 
of his own mercy he has saved us.' ^ By grace 
ye are saved through faith — not of works, lest 
any man boast ; ' but wholly and solely for the 
sake of what Christ hath done and suffered for 
us. "\Ye are ^ j ustified freely by his grace, through 
the redemption that is in Christ.' And this is 
not only the means of our obtaining the favor 
of God, but of our continuing therein. It is 
thus we come to God at first; it is by the same 
we come unto him ever after." 

Let no one consume time by disputing 
about the particular form of expression or 
mode of speech ; but give every one liberty 
to employ such expressions as he believes to 
be more scriptural, if he only does not 
neglect the substance of the matter, and rests 
his only hope upon what Christ did and suf- 



yy THE OLD WAY. 

fered, for pardon, peace, and eternal salvation; 
then all is well. ^' It is true," says J. Wesley 
further, " believers may not all speak alike ; 
they may not all use the same language. It 
is not expected that they should ; we cannot 
reasonably require it of them. A thousand 
circumstances may cause them to vary from 
each other, in the manner of expressing them- 
selves ; but a difference of expression does not 
necessarily imply a diiFerence of sentiment. 
Different persons may use different expressions, 
and yet mean the same thing. Nothing is 
more common than this, although we seldom 
make sufficient allowance for it. Nay, it is 
not easy for the same persons, when they 
speak of the same thing at a considerable 
distance of time, to use exactly the same 
expressions, even though they retain the same 
sentiments ; how then can we be rigorous in 
requiring others to use just the same expres- 
sions with us ? " J. Hervey, another devoted 
servant of God, expresses the same sentiment. 



THE OLD WAY. 99 

He says: "We are not solicitous as to any 
particular set of phrases. Only let men be 
humbled as repenting criminals at Christ's 
feet, let them rely as devoted pensioners on 
his merits, and they are undoubtedly in the 
way to a blessed immortality." 

II. Regeneration, Regeneration, or the new 
birth, is the moral or spiritual change of heart, 
{Ezek. xxxvi. 27,) the new creation, (2 Cor, 
V. 17,) the restoration of the image of God 
in, and the communication of a new, divine 
principle of life to, the soul of fallen man. 
{Col. iii. 10; John iii. 15; v. 24.) 

This is an exceedingly important doctrine, 
and the Necessity of the Work is everywhere 
inculcated in the Word of God. " Create in 
me a new heart, O God ; and renew a right 
spirit within me." {Ps. li. 10.) "A new 
heart also will I give you, and a new spirit 
will I put within you; and I will take away 
the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will 
give you a heart of flesh. And I will put 



100 THE OLD WAY. 

my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk 
in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judg- 
ments, and do them." {Ezek. xxxvi. 26, 27.) 
"Verily, verily I say unto thee, Except a 
man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom 
of God." {John iii. 3-7.) "According to his 
mercy he saved us, by the washing of regener- 
ation, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." 
{Tit iii. 5 ; 1 Fet i. 3.) 

Eegeneration does not, as many erroneously 
suppose, consist in any of the following par- 
ticulars : 

1. Not in the Henunmation of Error. A 
person may renounce every error, become 
soundly orthodox in his views, and fully 
assent to every doctrine of the Bible, without 
experiencing this work. 

2. Not in External Reformation. A pro- 
fligate and vicious person may abandon his 
immoral course and lead a reformed life, and, 
notwithstanding, be an entire stranger to this 
work. How often is it the case that persons 



THE OLD WAY. 101 

in their younger days live in all kinds of 
wickedness, but when they are older abandon 
the sins of their youth, not because the desire 
of, and love for them, are lost, but because 
they no longer possess the strength and ability 
to indulge in them ! 

3. Not in Morality. Morality is inseparably 
connected with true religion. To enjoy re- 
ligion without possessing morality, is utterly 
impossible. However, it is possible to be 
moral, in the general sense of the term, with- 
out knowing anything experimentally about 
the work of regeneration. As an illustration 
of this truth, take the case of the rich young 
man. He inquired of Jesus, "Good Master, 
what good thing shall I do, that I may have 
eternal life?" The Saviour replied, "Keep 
the commandments." The young ruler in- 
quired, "Which?" Jesus then answered him, 
" Thou shalt do no murder. Thou shalt not 
commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou 

shalt not bear false witness, Honor thy father 
9* 



102 THE OLD WAY. 

and thy mother; and, Thou shalt love thy 
neighbor as thyself.'^ The young man, it 
seems, could say, "All these things have I 
kept from my youth up," (of course only ac- 
cording to the letter and not in the spirit,) and 
yet, notwithstanding, Jesus solemnly declared, 
"Yet lackest thou one thing." {Matt. xix. 
16-22; Xw;[:exviii. 18-24.) 

4. Not in Baptism. The ordinance of 
baptism was instituted by the great Head 
of the Church himself. It is not merely a 
token of a Christian profession, whereby Chris- 
tians are distinguished from the world, and 
whereby they solemnly obligate themselves to 
perform every Christian duty ; but it is a sign 
and seal of regeneration, [Tit. iii. 5,) a figure 
of the internal ablution by the blood of 
Christ. (1 Pet. iii. 21.) A person, however, 
may be baptized fifty times — in infancy or 
at an adult age — and yet may not be born 
again ; for it is not by water, but exclusively 
by the Word and Spirit of God, upon the 



THE OLD WAY. 103 

simple conditions of repentance toward God 
and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that man 
is regenerated. This truth is pointedly illus- 
trated in the history of Simon the Sorcerer. 
{Acts viii. 9-24.) When Philip came to Sa- 
maria and preached the Gospel of the cruci- 
fied Redeemer, many who heard " the things 
concerning the kingdom of God" believed, 
and were baptized. Simon also believed, was 
baptized, and "continued with Philip, and 
wondered, beholding the miracles and signs 
which were done." 

But, notwithstanding his faith, (which was 
merely historical, that is, assenting to the truths 
of the gospel,) his baptism, and even his union 
and connection with the Church, his actions 
evidenced it unequivocally that he was not a 
regenerated man ; and Peter declared, among 
other things, concerning him, " Thy heart is 
not right in the sight of God. Repent there- 
fore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if 
perhaps the thoughts of thy heart may be for- 



104 THE OLD WAY. 

given thee. For I perceive that thou art in 
the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of 
iniquity." The Christian world abounds with 
such characters. Indeed, there are compara- 
tively few in the present day who have not 
been baptized with water; but the fruits of 
their lives, as in Simon's case, clearly testify- 
that the majority of them have never ex- 
perienced a change of heart. That baptism 
is not regeneration, is also obvious from the 
history of Cornelius and his household ; for 
they received the Holy Ghost before they had 
submitted to the ordiuance, and consequently 
they must have been regenerated previously. 
{Acts X. 44-48.) ISTeither baptism, nor any 
other external ceremony, however impressive 
and appropriate such form may be in its proper 
place, can change, transform, regenerate the 
heart, and impart spiritual and divine life to 
man ; for regeneration is the work of God, 
and is wrought in the soul by the Holy Spirit. 
Regeneration is : 



THE OLD WAY. 105 

1) A Complete Change, The whole man who 
was before of an earthly and sensual disposi- 
tion, is transformed — "created anew" — and 
becomes heavenly-minded. "If any man be 
in Christ, he is a new creature; old things 
have passed away; behold all things have 
become new." (2 Cor. v. 17.) 

2) A Mysterious Change. The Spirit's 
operation in effecting this work is inexplicable 
and mysterious. " The wind bloweth where 
it listeth, and- thou hearest the sound thereof, 
but canst not tell whence it cometh, and 
whither it goeth ; so is every one that is born 
of the Spirit." (John iii. 8.) 

3) An Instantaneous Change, I do not 
mean to convey the idea, as if the whole pro- 
cess of the work was instantaneous, — by no 
means, because, before it can be effected, the 
seed of the Word of God must be communi- 
cated to, or infused into, the heart by the Holy 
Spirit, and must gradually develop itself 
there in awakening and enlightening the sin- 



106 THE OLD WAY. 

ner, bj discovering to him his deeply fallen 
and sinful condition, and leading him to re- 
pentance, and finally to faith. This develop- 
ment may possibly go on for days, weeks, 
months, and even years, as may have been the 
case in particular instances ; but such a length 
of time is not essentially necessary, if the sin- 
ner submits unreservedly and passively to the 
operations of the Spirit ; but, properly speak- 
ing, the transition from spiritual death unto 
spiritual life is instantaneous. In the present 
moment a person may be an unpardoned, peni- 
tent sinner, and in the next, a beautiful creature 
of grace, a child of the living God. Happy 
the soul who realizes this blessed change ! 

4) A Visible Change. Every person who 
has experienced this blessed work will give 
evidence of it in his whole life and conversa- 
tion. " Every good tree bringeth forth good 
fruit." {3IaU. vii. 17-20.) Every one who is 
born of God bringeth forth the fruit of the 
Spirit, " love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gen- 



THE OLD WAY. 107 

tleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temper- 
ance," {Gal. V. 22, 23 ;) " Let your light so shine 
before men, that they may see your good 
works, and glorify your Father which is in 
heaven." (Matt v. 16^) 

I will now give the Denominational testi- 
monies on this subject. 

I. Episcopal Church. "Except a man 
be born again, that is, renewed in his mind, 
will, and affections by the operations of the 
Holy Spirit, and so become a new creature, 
(2 Cor, V. 17,) he cannot enjoy the blessings 
of the kingdom of God." — Dr. Whitby. 

II. Moravian Church. " Regeneration, 
which consists in this, that we become the 
sons of God, by faith in Jesus Christ, is a 
work of the Holy Spirit." — A. G. Spangen- 
herg. 

III. Lutheran Church. " Regeneration 
is a work of the Holy Spirit, whereby a per- 
son is changed from a child of wrath and 
damnation to a child of grace and salvation ; 



108 THE OLD WAY. 

from a sinner to a righteous man by faith, 
word, and sacrament ; whereby also our heart, 
mind, disposition, understanding, will, and 
affections, are renewed, enlightened, and sanc- 
tified in and after Christ, to a new creature." — 
J, Arndt, 

ly. Refoemed Church. " Regeneration 
is the restoration of the image of God to the 
soul ; or, regeneration is that work of God in 
the soul whereby spiritual life, which is the 
image of God, is restored, and all the powers 
of the soul are renewed and sanctified. It is 
represented, in Scripture, under a variety of 
metaphors and expressions : such as, being 
born again; or, Christ being formed in the 
heart ; or, partaking of divine nature ; or, it 
is called a resurrection ; a new creature ; a new 
heart." — S. Helfenstdn^ B.JD. 

Y. Peesbyteeian Chtjech. " By our first 
birth we were corrupt, shapen in sin and ini- 
quity; we must therefore undergo a second 
birth, our souls must be fashioned and en- 



THE OLD WAY. 109 

livened anew. ... But this new birth has its 
rise from heaven and its tendency to heaven; 
it is to be born to a divine and heavenly life, 
a life of communion with God and the upper 
world, and, in order to this, it is to partake 
of a divine nature and bear the image of the 
heavenly."— if. Henry, 

VI. Baptist Chukch. " Regeneration con- 
sists in giving a holy disposition to the mind; 
it is effected in a manner above our comprehen- 
sion by the power of the Holy Spirit, in con- 
nection with Divine truth, so as to secure our 
voluntary obedience to the Gospel."— Con/es- 
sion of Faith 

VII. Methodist Church. "It is that 
great change which God works in the soul, 
when he brings it into life; when he raises it 
from the death of sin to the life of righteous- 
ness. It is the change wrought in the whole 
soul by the Almighty Spirit of God, when it 
is ^created anew in Christ Jesus/ when it is 
^renewed after the image of God, in righteous- 



110 THE OLD WAY. 

ness and true holiness;' when the love of the 
world is changed into the love of God ; pride 
into huniilitj ; passion into meekness ; hatred, 
envy, malice, into a sincere, tender, disin- 
terested love for all mankind. In a word, it 
is that change whereby the earthly, sensual, 
devilish mind is turned into the ^ mind which 
was in Christ Jesus.' " — J. Wesley. 

YIII. UisiTED Beetheen iis^ Cheist. 
" The * new birth ' is, most unequivocally, an 
internal work — a work of the heart. It 
begins there and reforms the whole man, by 
reconstructing and carefully regulating the 
hidden springs of life. It purifies life's issues, 
and makes them blessings to society. It rears 
around the soul a ^ wall of fire ' against the 
encroachments of sin, and brings within its 
borders ^ quietness and assurance forever.' " — 
W. J, Shuey. 

IX. Eyaxgelical Association^ ^^It is 
that change of heart, by the power of the 
Holy Ghost, whereby man is transplanted 



THE OLD WAY. Ill 

from spiritual death into the divine life, and 
renewed to the image of God/^ — Catechism, 

This blessed work, this glorious change in 
the moral nature of man, is compared to a 
birth, and is therefore called regeneration, 
which means to be re-born, or born again, 
because : 

(1) As man by his natural birth is made a 
partaker of human, so by this change a person 
is made a partaker of divine nature. "Ac- 
cording as his divine power hath given unto 
us all things that pertain unto life and godli- 
ness, through the knowledge of him that hath 
called us to glory and virtue; whereby are 
given unto us exceeding great and precious 
promises ; that by these ye might be partakers 
of the divine nature, having escaped the cor- 
ruption that is in the world through lust." 
(2 Fet I 3, 4.) 

(2) As man by his natural birth is intro- 
duced into the natural, so by this change a 
person is introduced into the spiritual world, 



112 THE OLD WAY. 

into the kiDgdom of J^sus Christ? "Who 
hath delivered us from the power of darkness, 
and has translated us into the kingdom of his 
dear Son." {Col i. 13.) 

(3) As man by his natural birth receives 
the image of his earthly parents, so by this 
change a person receives the image of God. 
"The new man, which after God is created 
in righteousness and true holiness." {Eph, 
iv. 24.) 

(4) As man by his natural birth is made 
an heir of temporal, so by this change a person 
is made an heir of spiritual and eternal pos- 
sessions, even of eternal life and glory. " And 
if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint 
heirs with Christ." {Rom. viii. 17.) "An in- 
heritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and 
that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for 
you." (1 Pet i. 4.) 

" Sinner! this solemn truth regard — 
Hear, all ye sons of men ; 
For Christ, the Saviour, hath declared, 
* Yc must he horn again ! ' 



THE OLD WAY. 113 

"Whate'er might be your birth or blood, 
The sinner's boast is vain; 
Thus saith the glorious Son of God: 
' Te must be born again ! ' 

" Your nature 's totally depraved, 
The heart a sink of sin ; 
Without this change you can't be saved, 
* Ye must be born again / ' " 

III. Sanctification. Sanctificatlon denotes 
in a general sense the ceremonial or ritual 
consecration of a person or thing to God ; but 
in a particular and doctrinal sense, the making 
truly and perfectly holy what w^as before pol- 
luted and defiled. To be wholly sanctified 
means to be saved from all sin; to be pure in 
heart; to enjoy such a state of Christian ex- 
perience as to be entirely separated from the 
world and redeemed from every stain and 
pollution of sin ; so that we live no longer to 
ourselves, but are wholly consecrated to the 
service of God. 

The Doctrine of Sanctification, or Holiness, 

is the Central Idea of revealed Eeligion, and 
10* H 



114 THE OLD WAY. 

is, therefore, of superior importance. The 
Necessity of Holiness is prominently set forth 
in the Old and New Testament. "And ye 
shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a 
holy nation.'^ {Ex. xix. 6.) " For I am the Lord 
your God : ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, 
and ye shall be holy ; for I am holy." {Lev. xi. 
44, 45 ; Isa. Ixii. 12.) " Let us cleanse ourselv^es 
from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, per- 
fecting holiness in the fear of God." (2 Cor. 
vii. 1.) "For this is the will of God, even 
your sanctification." (1 Thess. iv. 3.) "Follow 
peace with all men, and holiness, without which 
no man shall see the Lord." {Heb. xii. 14.) 

The great and glorious object of the advent 
of the Son of God upon earth was to " destroy 
the works of the devil," (1 John iii. 8,) to 
"save his people from their sins," {Matt i. 21,) 
to " redeem us from all iniquity, and purify 
unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good 
works," {Tit ii. 14,) "that he might present it 
to himself a glorious church, not having a 



. THE OLD WAY. 115 

spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing ; but that 
it should be holy and without blemish/' (EpJi, 
V. 27.) 

It is not only the inestimable privilege, but 
the solemn and imperative duty of every be- 
liever to be entirely holy. Believers must be 
washed from all the impurities of sin, be 
cleansed from all filthiness of the flesh and 
spirit, and be redeemed from every affection and 
desire, which are contrary to the law and will 
of God. They are, therefore, commanded to 
'' be holy," (1 Pet i. 14-16,) to "put off, con- 
cerning the former conversation, the old man, 
which is corrupt according to the deceitful 
lusts," {Eph. iv. 22; Col iii. 10,) to "lay aside 
every weight, and the sin which doth so easily 
beset us," (Heb. xii. 1,) and "to keep them- 
selves unspotted from the world," {Jas. i. 27;) 
for " no unclean person hath any inheritance 
in the kingdom of Christ and of God," (Eph, 
V. 5,) yea, only the " pure in heart shall see 
God." {Matt V. 8.) 



116 THE OLD TTAY. • 

That there is generally, if not always, some- 
thing remaining in the believer, after his con- 
version, that is, that everything is not in 
perfect order and harmony immediately in 
regeneration as it should be, — no matter whe- 
ther that discord, or the cause of it, exists in 
the spirit, in the soul, or in the body, — ^and 
whether we denominate that something, " ori- 
ginal sin," "indwelling sin," " moral depra- 
vity," "' remains of the carnal mind," or by 
whatever name we please, it is an undeniable 
fact, it exists somewhere, as frequently indi- 
cated in the Word of God, and as verified and 
corroborated by the almost, if not quite, uni- 
form experience of all believers in every period 
of the world. But whatever disorder may re- 
main, thank God, there is a " fountain opened 
to the house of David and the inhabitants of 
Jerusalem for sin and uncleanness,"(ZecA. xiii. 
1,) which cleanseth from all pollution ; for the 
Lord is not only willing to pardon sin, when 
a person comes in the proper disposition of 



THE OLD WAY. II7 

mind and heart, but also to " cleanse from all 
unrighteousness," (1 John i. 9,) — to '^purify 
the heart," (Ads xv. 9;) for "the blood of 
Jesus Christ the Son of God cleanseth from 
all sin," (1 John i. 7;) "And every one that 
hath this hope in him, (of being a son of 
God and of being finally glorified,) purifieth 
himself even as he is pure. AYhoso commit- 
teth sin transgresseth the law; for sin is the 
transgression of the law. And ye know that 
he was manifested to take away our sins ; and 
in him is no sin." (1 John iii. 3-5.) 

I will now, according to my custom, give the 
Denominational testimonies on this subject also. 

I. Episcopal Chuhch. "The very end 
and essence of the covenant of grace is, that 
God might ^purify unto himself a peculiar 
people, zealous of good works.' (Tit ii. 14.) 
It is vain to preach the remission of sins, 
without inculcating the necessity of repentance 
and amendment of life at the same time. The 
whole tenor of the Gospel is uniform as to this 



118 THE OLD WAY. 

point. Not one precept, not one command, 
not one exhortation can be produced, that does 
not tend to the same thing. And the grand 
doctrine of all, and of every part, is comprised 
and summed up in this short, expressive, and 
momentous sentence: ^Without holiness no 
man shall see the Lord.' '' — Dean Tucker. 

II. Moravian Church. " Sanctification 
consists in this, that we do not allow sin to 
reign in us, but seek to be purified from it 
more and more, and to increase in the love and 
practice of all that is good." — Catechism. 

III. Lutheran Church. " Sanctification 
is that state of man, in which he is capable, 
by virtue of the spiritual powers received in 
his conversion, to strive diligently after holi- 
ness of life, and, as the Most Holy, seeks to be 
separated from everything which is contrary to 
the commandment of God, and on the contrary 
does that which is acceptable to the Creator. 
The substance of this sanctification consists, 
therefore, by no means, in a mere external 



THE OLD WAY. 119 

reformation of morals, but in an internal trans- 
formation of the heart, in directing quite dif- 
ferent the will and all desires; so that all 
meditation and striving has reference to God, 
and man stands wholly under the influence of 
the Holy Spirit." — G. Buechner, 

IV. RefoPvMED Church. " Sanctification 
is that act of God^s grace, whereby believers 
are gradually cleansed from the remains of sin 
and indwelling corruption, and renewed after 
the image of God.'^ — S. Helfenstein, D, D. 

Y. Peesbyterian Church. "Sanctifi- 
cation is the work of God's free grace, where- 
by we are renewed in the whole man after the 
image of Grod, and are enabled more and more 
to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness." 
Shorter Catechism, 

VI. Baptist Church. "Sanctification is 
the process by which, according to the will of 
God, we are made partakers of his holiness ; 
it is a progressive work ; it is begun in regen- 
eration ; and it is carried on in the hearts of 



120 THE OLD WAY. 

believers by the presence and power of the 
Holy Spirit, the Sealer and Comforter, in the 
continual use of the appointed means — espe- 
cially, the word of God, self-examination, self- 
denial, watchfulness, and prayer/' — Confession 
of Faith, 

YII. Methodist Church. "Gospel holi- 
ness is no less than the image of God stamped 
upon the heart ; it is no other than the whole 
mind which was in Christ Jesus ; it consists 
of all heavenly affections and tempers mingled 
together in one. It implies such a continual, 
thankful love to him who hath not withheld 
from us his Son, his only Son, as makes it 
natural and in a manner necessary to us, to love 
every child of man ; as fills us ^ with bowels 
of mercies, kindness, gentleness, long-sufPer- 
ing : ' it is such a love of God as teaches us to 
be blameless in all manner of conversation ; 
as enables us to present our souls and bodies, 
all we are, and all we have, all our thoughts, 
words, and actions, a continual sacrifice to 



THE OLD WAY. 121 

God, acceptable through Christ Jesus." — J. 
Wesley, 

VIII. United Beetheen in Cheist. 
"Holiness of heart, which, before God, is an ab- 
solute pre-requisite to admission into heaven, is 
the result of an application of the all-cleansing 
blood of Christ. ^For if we walk in the 
light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship 
one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, 
his Son, cleanseth from all sin J '^ — W. J, Shuey, 

IX. Evangelical Association. "By 
sanctification is meant the entire purification 
from all sin, and unreserved dedication to 
God, loving him with all our heart, with all 
our soul, with all our mind, and with all our 
strength ; and our neighbor as ourselves.'^ — 
Catechism. 

In the following particulars all orthodox 

Christian denominations agree on this doctrine. 

First: That man is naturally unholy. 

Secondly: That no unholy person can enter 

into the kingdom of heaven. 
11 



122 THE OLD WAY. 

Thirdly: That no man can make himself 
holy. 

Fourthly: That the blood of Jesus Christ 
is the only remedy to make man holy. 

Fifthly: That man must be made holy^ be 
entirely sanctified, before he can gain admit- 
tance into the presence of God. 

All parties, therefore, agree in those points 
which constitute the most important and essen- 
tial features, the substance of the doctrine, and 
the only questions remaining for consideration 
are, concerning the time and form, when and 
how it is accomplished. In these respects, I 
concede, there prevail various and even con- 
flicting opinions among the different denom- 
inations, as may be seen in their writings on 
this subject. With regard to the time, some 
affirm that it is consummated mmecZia^Zy before, 
or in death ; others, that it is possible at any 
time, long anterior as well as immediately before 
or in death. The latter contend, that, if it is 
possible for a person to be wholly sanctified 



THE OLD WAY. 123 

one moment prior to death, it is equally pos- 
sible, dajs, weeks, months, and even years pre- 
viously. They say, with God all things are 
possible. [Matt. xix. 26.) He is not limited 
to any particular time, and as He is a perfectly 
holy Being, and desires that all believers 
should be entirely holy, (1 Pet i. 16,) not only 
at some future period, but even now, and as 
He must effect the work, He will accomplish 
it in every heart, as soon as a person is in the 
proper state of mind, and complies with the 
conditions of the Gospel. This view of the 
subject seems reasonable, and is, in my opinion, 
correct and scriptural. It is true, the Holy 
Scriptures do not specify in so many words, 
the particular period in which the work is 
finally consummated; but their whole tenor 
seems to favor this view. 

That entire sanctification may be obtained by 
every believer, at any time pi'evious to death, 
is quite evident, from the apostle's prayer in 
behalf of the Thessalonians : "And the very 



124 THE OLD WAY. 

God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray 
God, your whole spirit, and soul, and body, be 
preserved blameless unto the coming of our 
Lord Jesus Christ.'^ (1 Thess. v. 23.) We 
learn from this petition the following particu- 
lars: 

First: That the Thessalonians, or at least a 
portion of them, were not wholly sanctified. 

Secondly: That the Apostle believed that 
they could be wholly sanctified. 

Thirdly : That they could be wholly sanctified 
at the time he prayed for them. 

Fourthly: That after their entire sanctifica- 
tion they could live " blameless " in the sight 
of God, or how else is the following language 
to be understood, "Your whole spirit, and 
soul, and body, he preserved blameless unto the 
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ"? 

With regard to the form, the inquiry arises, 
Is sanctification a gradual or instantaneous 
work ? . It is, beyond controversy, both. It 
commences simultaneously with justification 



THE OLD WAY. 125 

and regeneration, and must ultimately, at one 
period or the other, reach the same perfect- 
ness. No one ever obtained entire sanctifica- 
tion in whom it was not previously gradually 
and progressively developed, to what degree, 
and for how long a period, I will not presume 
to specify ; and on the other hand, no one ever 
experienced it gradually, in whom it was not, 
at one time or another, instantaneously con- 
summated. The development is invariably 
gradual, the consummation always, sooner or 
later, instantaneous. In my view, it is en- 
tirely unnecessary to dispute about nice dis- 
tinctions at all. It is of pre-eminent impor- 
tance, however, that every one should dili- 
gently seek with all the heart to be redeemed 
"wholly" from every remains of the "carnal 
mind," from "all evil," no matter how and 
when it is obtained ; but the sooner it is 
gained the better it is in all respects. Be 
the change instantaneous or gradual, never 

rest till it is wrought in your own soul, if 
11* 



126 THE OLD WAY. 

you desire to be fully qualified for eternal 
glory. 

The following extract, from the pen of my 
esteemed friend, R. Yeakel, one of the editors 
of the " Living Epistle/' is so pertinent to the 
subject under consideration, that I offer no 
apology, notwithstanding its length, to insert 
it in this connection. " Christian holiness is 
experimental and practical. The apostles of 
our Lord, who were experimental theologians 
and master 'Doctors of Divinity,' and had 
graduated in the school of Christ himself, 
though not wearing the oft-times misplaced 
title of D. D., — treated the subject of holiness 
in a practical way. They were men ' full of 
faith and the Holy Ghost;' and, as such, 
apprehended the condition of the churches 
under their care, not by speculating in super- 
fine theories, but simply by looking at things 
as they were. The fact that the carnal mind 
was yet prevailing in a degree among believers, 
that 'envyings, strife, and division' occurred, 



THE OLD WAY. 127 

that some who 'for the time ought to be 
teachers/ needed again 'to lay the founda- 
tion/ and that others conducted themselves in 
a manner not worthy of their high calling in 
Christ Jesus, was, by them, accepted as a fact, 
and awakened their cares and fears that, in 
their itinerant labors, they would find some of 
the churches far below the standard of Chris- 
tian holiness : ' For I fear, lest, when I come, 
I shall not find you, such as you would not : 
lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, 
backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults/ 
(2 Cor. xii. 20.) They clearly saw, and sor- 
rowfully felt, the want of holiness among be- 
lievers, and they preached and labored accord- 
ingly. 

''To remedy this, they went to work — not 
with critical discussions and disputes, whether 
this deficiency in holiness was a remainder of 
sin not rooted out entirely by the new birth ; 
whether full salvation from sin was a gradual 
or an instantaneous work ; whether there was a 



128 THE OLD WAY. 

'special sanctification ' attainable or not, — 
but by plain, convincing, and practical preach- 
ing and exemplifying what they preached by 
holy living. 

" They clearly showed believers that their 
depravities were contrary to the truth as it is 
in Christ Jesus. They earnestly entreated 
them to ^ put off the old man,' and insisted 
that they should ' cleanse themselves from all 
filthiness of the flesh and the spirit, and per- 
fecting holiness in the fear of God;' so that 
they might present every man perfect in Christ 
Jesus, and bring the Church, as a spotless 
bride, pure and holy, into Christ's presence. 

" On the other hand, they proclaimed and 
offered Christ to them as the onlyy and all- 
suffidentj source and fountain of holiness — 
as him, who 'gave himself for the Church 
that he might cleanse it;^ 'who is made of 
God unto us — sanctification ; ' asserting, ^This 
is the will of God, even your sanctification,' 
and praying, *Now the very God of peace 



THE OLD WAY. 129 

sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your 
whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved 
blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus 
Christ/ They required of believers a total 
denial of all evil, the mortification and death 
of the old man, and unreserved submission of 
themselves to Him, who died for them and 
rose again from the dead that they might 
live — to lead an entire and continual life of 
faith. * 

" And Paul the apostle, a living example of 
holiness and Christian perfection, presented 
his own Christian experience and state of 
grace, before his own erring brethren, for 
their encouragement, in the following ex- 
cellent statement, ^ I am crucified with Christ, 
nevertheless I live; yet not /, hut Christ liveth 
in me; and the life, which I now live in the 
fleshy I live by faith in the Son of God, who 
loved me J and gave himself for me.' ( Gal. ii. 
20.) In this passage we have Christian holi- 
ness and perfection as realized by Paul, and 



130 THE OLD WAY. 

urged by him in his writings and preaching, 
and boldly professed for an example to them 
who should believe. Here is no mere supposi- 
tion, no Wain babbling,' no speculative theory, 
no labyrinth of unwarranted inferences, which 
confuse the mind and discourage the heart, 
but a live man filled and governed by Christ, 
who can truthfully and positively assert, ^I 
can do all things through Christ, who strength- 
eneth me/ How clear, exquisite, simple, and 
yet sublime is this confession ! The being 
crucified with Christ, the death of self, and the 
full life of Christ, through an unceasing, full 
faith, was in Paul a practical, we might almost 
say, a tangible reality! Glorious fact! May 
it be repeated in all preachers of the Gospel, 
and professors of Christianity 

" Now, we would ask in all seriousness. Is 
there any other doctrine of holiness, or another 
way except this apostolic practical one, that 
will answer the purpose ? Or is, indeed, in 
our day ^ the congregation holy, every one of 



THE OLD WAY. 131 

them?' as the rebels, Korah, Dathan, and 
Abiram, said to Moses and Aaron in reference 
to the unfaithful and stiff-necked people of 
Israel. Far from it. Is there a true servant 
of Christ, who does not, to his heart's sorrow, 
perceive the great want of holiness in the 
Church? How prevailing yet is unbelief, 
how strong the love of the world, how dis- 
tressing envyings and strife, how rampant the 
weeds of pride and fashion, how mighty is 
detestable avarice, and how much lukewarm- 
ness and conformity to the world's maxims is 
found in churches, and individual Christians ! 
Very few can truly say, ^I live not, but 
Christ liveth in me ! ' Who will deny these 
facts? They exist, they confront us, and, as 
it were, strike into our faces and sting into 
our very hearts ! They are the greatest ob- 
stacles to Christ's cause, and cripple the ener- 
gies of the Church to a fearful extent ! 

" But, though we have to deplore the same 
sad want of holiness, as the apostles in their 



132 THE OLD WAY. 

day, yet, thank God ! we have the same over- 
flowing fountain of holiness and grace, — - 
^ Jesus Christ J the same yesterday , and to-day j 
and forever ! ' J^ow, this great want of holi- 
ness in believers, and that Christ is made unto 
them sanctification, are the two important facts 
with which we have to do. And these to- 
gether clearly point out the plain and short 
road to holiness — directly to Christ and into 
his fullness. 

" A practical way of preaching, which deals 
with these facts as they are, which faithfully 
exposes, attacks, and reproves the depravities 
in the church, and at the same time leads sin- 
cere souls straight into Christ's free, full, and 
present salvation, is now the great desideratum. 
Such preaching will do good and cause many 
believers to wash their robes white in the 
blood of the Lamb. This will effect infinitely 
more than all discussions concerning the sup- 
posed critical niceties of the doctrine of sancti- 
fication have ever effected. If we thus preach. 



THE OLD WAY. 133 

the Holy Spirit of truth, wisdom, and holiness 

will bless it with his demonstration and power. 

This Great Teacher will then lead believers 

in all the spiritual truths belonging to the 

subject, and whilst they are seeking, Hhei/ 

shall find' the sanctification of spirit, and 

body!" 

In conclusion, let no one presume, however, 

after having realized "entire sanctification," 

that there is no further growth and increase in 

the work of God in the soul. Indeed, the 

fact is, that after this blessed experience, 

the believer will be capable of making more 

rapid progress in Divine life, growing in grace, 

proceeding from one degree of strength and 

glory to another, and, if faithful, will, after a 

full development to Christian maturity or 

manhood, "be able to comprehend with all 

saints, what is the breadth, and length, and 

depth, and height" of "the love of Christ, 

which passeth knowledge." {Eph, iii. 16-21.) 
12 



134 THE OLD WAY. 

** My dying Sayiour, and my Grod, 
Fountain for guilt and sin, 
Sprinkle me ever with thy blood, 
And cleanse and keep me clean. 

" Wash me, and make me thus thine own ; 
Wash me, and mine thou art ; 
Wash me, but not my feet alone, 
My hands, my head, my heart." 






CHAPTER VI. 

THE METHOD OF THE OLD WAY. 

(Continued.) 

geowth in grace — christian perfection — 
denominational testimonies. 

AVING endeavored to show in the 

two preceding chapters what course 

to pursue in order to get in the " Old 

Way," I will now try to instruct the reader, 

if he is in Christ, how to walk in the same, 

if he would answer the great and glorious 

destiny in time and eternity, to which he is 

appointed. "As ye have therefore received 

Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him." 

{CoL ii. 6.) " He that saith he abideth in him, 

ought himself also to walk, even as he walked." 

(1 John ii. 6.) 

135 



136 THE OLD WAY. 

As soon as the sinner enters the " Old Way/' 
he is a changed man. What changes he 
realizes when he is brought into a saving rela- 
tion with Christ, has been plainly stated in 
the preceding chapter. When he is in Christ, 
he is a new creature, a partaker of the divine 
nature, a child of God, and an heir of eternal 
life. He is now on the way to happiness and 
glory. In this state of Christian experience, 
which is inexpressibly glorious, the believer, 
however, is only a beginner, and is, therefore, 
yet comparatively ignorant, weak, and inex- 
perienced in the things pertaining to the Spirit 
of God. But it is now his exalted privilege, 
and most emphatic duty, to press onward to 
still greater attainments in the divine life; and 
every believer should feel a burning desire, 
and put forth every exertion to attain to the 
highest state of Christian experience. The 
highest state of experience in the divine life 
upon earth, is Christian Maturity, or Man- 
hood, designated in this work, Christian Per- 



THE OLD TVAY. 137 

fection. There are some writers who employ 
the terms " entire sanctification," and " Chris- 
tian perfection '^ as synonymous, to which there 
can be no particular objection, provided the 
matter is properly explained, and correctly 
understood. In order, however, in my opinion, 
to give a better and more practical insight of 
the subject, and also because I honestly believe 
that there is actually a difference between them, 
therefore I make a distinction in their use. 
Every believer, the child, the youth, and the 
father in Christ, must possess ^' entire sanctifi- 
cation " in order to be saved ; for " without 
holiness no man shall see the Lord." It is, 
therefore, the imperative duty of every believer 
to follow after holiness, and as soon as they 
discover any evil affections and desires existing 
in their hearts, to seek instant and entire re- 
demption from the same. It is the privilege 
of every believer in every stage Cf the Christian 
life, in childhood and youth, as well as in ma- 
turity, to be fnlly sanctified, to be entirely 
12* 



138 THE OLD WAY. 

holy; but the perfect development of the 
new man, maturity in Christian graces, or 
Christian perfection, is not essentially necessary 
to salvation, if the believer should die imme- 
diately after his justification and regeneration. 
The thief upon the cross was wholly sanctified 
before his death, (which undoubtedly occurred 
on the very day of his conversion,) for Jesus 
said to him, ^'Verily I say unto thee. To-day 
shalt thou be with me in paradise,'^ [Luke 
xxiii. 43,) which could not possibly have been 
the case, if he had not been cleansed from 
every pollution of sin. He was saved, how- 
ever, only as a child in Christ, not as a youth, 
or as " a perfect man in the measure of the 
stature of the fullness of Christ." {Eph. iv. 13.) 
St. John speaks of different states of Chris- 
tian experience, and among these of the Father- 
hood in Christ.* (1 John ii. 12, 14.) By this 

* The terms Manhood and Fatherhood in Christ, and 
Christian Perfection and Maturity, are employed synony- 
mously in this work. 



THE OLD WAY. 139 

state of development I understand, in this 
work, the perfection to which believers should 
attain, if they live any considerable length 
of time, after their regeneration, and which, 
therefore, is properly called " Christian Per- 
fectiony I do not wish to be understood, 
however, that a " child ,^' and "youth" in 
Christ, are not " perfect," in a certain sense ; 
by no means, they are "perfect" in their state, 
but not in the same sense and degree as a 
"man," or "father," in Christ. 

That the Word of God speaks concerning a 
distinctive perfection, which believers may 
obtain in this life, and which many had realli/ 
attained, is quite obvious from the following 
passages. "I am the Almighty God: walk 
before me, and be thou perfect." {Gen. xvii. 
1.) " Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy 
God." {Deut. xviii. 13.) "Mark the perfect 
man, and behold the upright ; for the end of 
that man is peace." (Ps. xxxvii. 37.) "Be ye 
therefore perfect, even as your Father which 



140 THE OLD WAY. 

is in heaven is perfect." {MaU. v. 48.) "Till 
we all come in the unity of the faith, and of 
the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a 
perfect man, unto the measure of the stature 
of the fullness of Christ." {Eph. iv. 13, 14.) 
" That the man of God may be perfect, thor- 
oughly furnished unto all good works." (2 
Tim. iii. 17.) "But strong meat belongeth 
to them that are of full age, even those who 
by reason of use have their senses exercised to 
discern both good and evil." {Heh. v. 14.) 
" Therefore, leaving the principles of the doc- 
trine of Christ, let us go on to perfection." 
{Heh. vi. 1.) " Let us, therefore, as many as 
be perfect, be thus minded." {Phil. iii. 15.) 

Before proceeding any further with my ob- 
servations, it will be necessary to inquire into, 
and explain, the nature of this perfection. 

First: It is not an Absolute perfection; for 
such a perfection belongs exclusively to the 
Deity. 

Secondly : It is not an Angelic perfection j 



THE OLD WAY. 141 

for such a perfection is only possessed by those 
spirits of light who did not sin, and have kept 
their " first estate." 

Thirdly: It is not an Adamic perfection; 
for such a perfection only belonged to our first 
parents before their deplorable fall into sin. 

Fourthly : It is not a Legal perfection ; for 
no man can be justified by the works of the 
law. {Gal. ii. 16.) 

But, 

Fifthly: It is an Evangelical or Christian 
perfection. A perfection, such as the Sacred 
Scriptures demand of man in his fallen con- 
dition. The reader will readily perceive by 
this analysis that there is quite a diiference in 
the nature and degrees of these various states 
of perfection. To possess the latter is not 
only the believer's privilege, but his solemn 
duty, if the Lord should preserve his life any 
length of time after his regeneration. To be 
perfect, means to be finished, complete; not 
defective; having all that is requisite to its 



142 THE OLD WAY. 

nature and kind. " Moral perfection/^ says 
Webster, "is tlie complete possession of all 
moral excellence, as in the Supreme Being; 
or the possession of such moral qualities and 
virtues as a thing is capable of." * 

This perfection includes "entire consecra- 
tion," "entire sanctification," and "perfect 
love ; " so that such a person can in truth, in 
the fullest sense in which it is possible upon 
earth, love the Lord with all the heart, with 
all the soul, with all the mind, and with all 
the strength; for this is required of every 

* " So far from asserting absolute perfection, either as 
to the impossibility of falling, or his ever arriving at a 
point beyond which he can never rise to a higher state 
of perfection, I rather believe with a shrewd brother, 
that ' he who foots it best to-day, may be found all along 
to-morrow ! ' — and with an excellent divine in Lon- 
don, that the most perfect human being in this world, 
is nothing more than an unfinished sketch of humanity ; 
a creature full of anticipations and pre-assurances 
of future developments and eternal perfection." — J. 
Caughey. 

*' The most perfect have continual need of the merits 
of Christ." — J". Wesle7j. 



THE OLD WAY. 143 

believer who would be scripturally " perfect," 
and answer the grand design of his earthly 
destiny. This state more particularly defined, 
presupposes the possession of large treasures 
of divine knowledge, a high degree of develop- 
ment of the inner man and of the spiritual and 
moral powers of the soul, as also maturity of 
the understanding, experience and improve- 
ment in all the virtues of the blessed Re- 
deemer. It must not be supposed, however, 
that when the believer has reached this state, 
that there is no further progress possible in 
the divine life. There is a continual progress. 
" When this progress should be brought to a 
point, is not to be conceived, rather may we 
suppose a continual advancement and progress 
to all eternity." The matter may be under- 
stood exactly as in physical respects : first, the 
" new-born babe," afterward the " youth," and 
finally the " man," or " father," in which lat- 
ter state, however, there may be different de- 
grees of development, extending over a period 



144 THE OLD WAY. 

of many years. All the difference in the 
analogy is, that, physically, " manhood " may, 
after a number of years, degenerate into bodily 
infirmities, whereas^ spiritually, it will increase 
in greater vigor and strength forever. 

All orthodox Christians recognize the prin- 
ciple of Christian perfection, or maturity. It 
is true, they do not all employ the same lan- 
guage, using the same words and phrases, to 
express their views on this subject ; but this 
is of comparatively little importance, if they 
only insist on the substance of the doctrine. 
Let us now examine the testimonies of dif- 
ferent Christian denominations on this sub- 
ject. 

I. Episcopal Church. "We must turn 
from all our evil ways, leaving no sin unmor- 
tified ; that is one measure of perfection, it is a 
perfect conversion. We must have charity, 
that is another perfection ; it is a perfect grace. 
We must be ready to part with all for con- 
science sake, and to die for Christ, that is per- 



THE OLD WAY. 145 

feet obedienee, and the most perfect love. We 

must conform to the divine will in doing and 

suffering, that is perfect patience. We must 

live in all holy conversation and godliness, 

that is a perfect state. We must ever be going 

forward, and growing in godliness, that so we 

may be perfect men in Christ Jesus." — Bishop 

Taylor. 

II. MoEAViAN Chuech. " The principal 

thing is and remains the receiving the free 

grace of God in Christ, the surrender of the 

heart to Him, our Redeemer, and the personal 

union with Him in spirit and faith. If a 

person has attained this, it is wrong to expect 

and demand immediately of him, what another 

who' for thirty years and more has lived by 

faith in Jesus, is capable of doing. . . . We 

have a right to expect of the beginner, that 

he will no longer sin deliberately, but will 

cleave to Christ, and love Him above all ; but 

the establishment of the heart, the assimilation 

to Christ, the abundant bringing forth of the 
• 13 K 



146 THE OLD WAY. 

fruits of faith, come only gradually^ and are 
made more and more visible, the longer we 
follow the Lord with fidelity, the more we 
partake of the fullness of grace, and the more 
intimately we are united in silence with Him. 
How great is the consolation in this fact for 
faithful, zealous, yet anxious beginners, who 
are disposed to demand too much or anything 
too prematurely of themselves. Only remain 
immovable in Christ Jesus, then everything 
will certainly follow what is to be.^^ — ios- 
hiel. 

III. Lutheran Church. " An object is 
perfect, if it possesses all that is requisite to 
its nature, essense and design. Thus are true 
Christians perfect, if they are what they 
should be according to their reasonable and 
particularly Christian destiny, conforming to 
the will and example of God, as exhibited to 
us in Christ." — G. Buechner. 

lY. Eeformed Church. " The Christian 
life begins in the new birth, by which we 



THE OLD WAY. 147 

become new creatures in Christ Jesus, the life 
of Christ being communicated to us by the 
Holy Spirit ; and this new life, or new man, 
in virtue of its continual living relation with 
Christ, and the spiritual food and nourishment 
it receives by the use of the means of grace, 
grows and is developed from what may be 
called our spiritual infancy, childhood, youth, 
manliood, until we are fathers and mothers in 
Christ. A truly matured Christian is one who 
is firmly grounded in the faith of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, and whose joy and delight is to 
do the will of our heavenly Father." — S, 
Ililler, 

Y. Presbyterian Church. " There are 
in the church babes, and persons of full age, 
{Heb. V. 12-14,) and there are in the gospel 
milk and strong meat. ... It is good to be 
babes in Christ, but not alw^ays to continue in 
that childish state; we should endeavor to 
pass the infant state ; w^e should always re- 
main in malice children, but in understanding 



148 THE OLD WAY. 

we should grow up to a manly maturity." — 
W. Tong. 

YI. Baptist Chuech. " Paul bade Chris- 
tians go onward and forward to perfection, 
and leaving the nursery, and its pattering 
by rote of elementary truths, he bade them 
proceed to the studies and attainments of a 
vigorous maturity in truth and holiness. . . . 
There are stages in Christian attainment; and 
one but prepares for another, and without all, 
the Christian cannot be fully useful or per- 
fectly blessed."^ — Dr, W. B. Williams, 

VII. Methodist Chuech. " But it should 
be premised, that there are several stages in 
Christian life, as in natural; — some of the 
children of God being but new-born babes; 
others having attained to more maturity. And 
accordingly, St. John, in his first epistle, chap, 
ii. 12, & vi., applies himself severally to those 
he terms little children, those he styles young 
men, and those whom he entitles fathers. . . . 
Ye are ^perfect men,' being grown up to Hhe 



THE OLD WAY. 149 

measure of the stature of the fullness of 
Christ/"* — /. Wesley, 

yill. United Bkethren in Christ. 
"The starlight grew into dawn*, the dawn 
into day, and the day is now long and clear. 
The rough places are made smooth, and the 
crooked straight. There is cheering evidence 
of growth. The building has gone far above 
the foundation, and may be seen by every eye. 
Former weariness in the race is vanished. 
They walk now and faint not. They are 
henceforth no more children, tossed to and fro 
and carried about by every wind of doctrine, 

* Mr. Weslej generally uses the terms, *' entire sanctifi- 
cation " and " Christian perfection" synonymously ; occa- 
sionally, however, he applies the term " perfect " only to 
adult or matured Christians, in the same sense in which 
it is used in this work. In his Flain Account of Chris- 
tian Perfection, to the question, "In what sense, then, are 
they perfect ? " he states preliminarily, " Observe, we are 
not now speaking of babes in Christ, hvii adult Christians.''' 
In his sermon on Phil. iii. 12, from which the above 
extract is taken, he says concerning fathers in Christ, 
those who had '■'•groion up" to full maturity, "for these 
only Sire perfect Christians. '' 
13* 



150 THE OLD WAY. 

but have come, in the knowledge of the Son 
of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure 
of the stature of the fullness of Christ.'^ — W. 
J. Shuey. ' 

IX. Evangelical Association. "Chris- 
tian Perfection consists in this, that we at all 
times and under all circumstances love God 
with all our hearts, our neighbors as ourselves, 
and God's children affectionately, and thus have 
the mind that was in Christ, and walk even as 
he walked." — Gen, Conference Resolution. 

Now in order to attain to this blessed state 
of Christian experience, we must "grow in 
grace," or, figuratively expressed, walk in the 
"Old Way." As Jesus grew physically as a 
child and waxed strong {Luhe ii. 40) as a 
youth, and finally as a full developed man, 
even so, spiritually, must every believer im- 
prove and grow in grace in order that the 
"new-born babe" may become a "young man," 
and finally be developed into a " perfect man '^ 
in Christ. This we learn from the numerous 



THE OLD WAY. 151 

and powerful exhortations of the apostles. 
" As new-born babes, desire the sincere milk 
of the word, that ye may grow thereby." (1 
Pet. ii. 2.) "Grow in grace, and in the 
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ." (2 Pet. iii. 18.) " Grow up into him 
in all things, which is the head, even Christ." 
{Eph. iv. 15.) 

" We are not always," says Origen, " to re- 
main children after the inner man, because it 
is possible to grow to the age of a youth, and 
also by a successive growth to attain to the 
stature of a perfect man, and become fathers." 
'^ Whoever does not improve in the school of 
Christ," says Bernard, " is not worthy of his 
instructions, particularly as we are in a place 
where nothing is stationary, and not progress- 
ing is undoubtedly as much as retrograding. 
Let no one, therefore, say. It is sufficient, I 
will remain as I am, I am satisfied that I am 
like yesterday and the day before. Whoever 
is of this disposition, sits down in the way, or 



152 THE OLD WAY. 

stands still on the ladder, on which the patri- 
arch saw no one who was not ascending or 
descending. I say therefore, ^Let him that 
thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall/ 
(1 Cor. X. 12.) The way is high and narrow, 
and not here, but in the Father's house are 
the many mansions. Whoever says that he 
abideth in Christ, should also walk even as 
he walked." 

The inquiry now presents itself. In what 
particulars are believers to grow or improve, 
if they would walk properly in the "Old 
Way," and attain to Christian maturity? 
This inquiry might be readily answered in 
the language of the inspired apostle, "m all 
things, which is the head, even Christ/^ {Eph. 
iv. 15 ;) but in order that the reader may the 
better comprehend the subject, I will endeavor 
to explain it a little more in detail. A be- 
liever must grow, 

1. In Spiritual Knoidedge. This consists, 
first, in a knowledge of God and Christ ; and. 



THE OLD WAY. 153 

secondly y in a knowledge of himself. He must 
feel it his duty to seek increased knowledge 
of God and his Son. He must likewise study 
to know himself thoroughly. He must be 
intimately acquainted with his heart, his de- 
sires, his affections, his disposition and short- 
comings. He must learn fully to realize his 
dependence upon God, and his utter help- 
lessness and unworthiness. " That ye might 
be filled with the knowledge of his wisdom 
and spiritual understanding; that ye might 
walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleas- 
ing, being fruitful in every good work, and 
increasing in the knowledge of God." {Col. i. 
9, 10.) 

2. In Heavenly-Mindedness. The believer 
must die to the world, to its honors, reputa- 
tion, wealth, and sinful enjoyments, and must 
become daily more spiritual and heavenly- 
minded like Jesus. " I die daily," (1 Cor. xv. 
31 ;) ^' Set your affection on things above, not 
on things on the earth," (Col. iii. 2 ;) " Let 



154 THE OLD WAY. 

this mind be in you, which was also in Christ 
Jesus." {PUl ii. 5.) 

3. In Moral Power, In regeneration, the 
believer obtains partially the spiritual power 
which was lost by the fall. " According as his 
divine power hath given unto us all things 
that pertain unto life and godliness." (2 Pet. i. 
3.) This power is, however, comparatively 
weak in every "new-born babe" in Christ, 
and must consequently be improved and per- 
fected by growth in grace. A beginner in the 
" Old Way," a believer who has not, as yet, 
his " senses exercised " sufficiently, may be, 
perhaps, "tossed to and fro," and may occa- 
sionally be overwhelmed by the allurements 
of the world and the temptations of the devil, 
and fall into actual sin. Such weakness may, 
perhaps, be excusable in the childhood state of 
Christian experience, in the case of quite young 
" babes in Christ ; " but it is utterly incom- 
patible with the advanced experience of Chris- 
tian maturity ; for a father in Christ " can do 



THE OLD WAY. 155 

all things through Christ, which strengtheneth 
him," {Phil iv. 13;) ''Be strong in the Lord 
and in the power of his might," {Ejph. vi. 10 ;) 
"Strengthened with all might, according to 
his glorious power," [Col, i. 11.) 

4. In Christian Virtues and Graces. In a 
natural born child all the members and powers 
of the body and the faculties and capacities of 
the soul are in existence, but of course only in 
an undeveloped state; even so spiritually, in 
regeneration, is the germ of every Christian 
virtue and grace implanted into the heart of the 
believer. These virtues and graces must, how- 
ever, afterwards be developed and perfected, 
so that they may shine forth in full splendor 
in the life of the matured or perfect Christian. 
He must progress "in all things." "And 
beside this giving all diligence, add to your 
faith, virtue ; and to your virtue, knowledge ; 
and to knowledge, temperance; and to tem- 
perance, patience ; and to patience, godliness ; 
and to godliness, brotherly kindness ; and to 



I 



•156 THE OLD WAY. 

brotlierly kindness, charity." (2 Pet i. 5-9.) 
" Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priest- 
hood, a holy nation, a peculiar people ; that 
ye should show forth the praises of him who 
hath called you out of darkness into his mar- 
vellous light." (1 Pet ii. 9.) 

5. In Resemblanae to God^s Image. The 
believer, as a child of God, must endeavor to 
resemble his heavenly Father, to be fully 
transformed Into the divine image. It is 
natural for children to imitate their parents ; 
to learn of them ; and to copy them in all 
respects. Whatever they see them do, they 
try to copy and imitate, and, indeed, insensibly 
they copy the very tempers and dispositions of 
their parents. Hence, if we are truly children 
of G.od, we must endeavor to imitate all his 
moral perfections, and daily strive to resemble 
him in all that pertains to his image. "Pious 
people," says Mr. Roswell, "should imitate 
the God whom they worship, as far as he has 
revealed himself as iraitable by them. They 



THE OLD WAY. 157 

must conform themselves to his example, and 
have his image renewed upon them. This 
puts a great honor upon practical religion, 
that it is the imitation of God. We must be 
holy as God is holy, merciful as he is merci- 
ful, perfect as he is perfect." " Be ye therefore 
followers of God, as dear children,'' {Eph. v. 
1 ;) " Put on the new man, which after God is 
created in righteousness and true holiness.'' 
{Eph, iv. 24.) 

If the believer would not always remain a 
" babe in Christ," (alas ! how many do !) but 
is eager, as is his imperative duty, to become 
a youth, then a man, or father in Christian ex- 
perience, it will be necessary for him to keep 
near the Source of Life ; for growth in grace, 
walking in the " Old Way," is connected with 
numerous difficulties, which, however, may 
all be overcome by divine assistance. The 
pious and devoted L. Hofacker very truly 
says in one of his sermons : "The world, satan, 

the lusts of the flesh, pride, self-love, yea, all 
14 



158 THE OLD WAY. 

possible impediments are on hand, which 
labor to undermine and destroy this growth. 
The might of man is not sufficient ; it is only 
by the power of God that the inner man is 
made strong." I will now give a few practical 
instructions for the benefit of those who desire 
to attain to this state of Christian experience. 
Whoever will carefully observe and practice 
them will be enabled to walk unblamably in 
the " Old Way," will make good progress in 
Spiritual life, will finally, if s.pared long 
enough, become a man, or father in Christ, 
and will ultimately, if he endures unto the end, 
have " ministered unto him an abundant en- 
trance into the everlasting kingdom of our 
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (2 Pet. i. 11.) 
1. Abstain from the Indulgence of every For- 
bidden Affection and Desire. By the long in- 
dwelling of sin in the heart, the propensity to 
evil has become natural to every man, and in 
consequence wrong dispositions and desires are 
occasionally manifested in the life of a " babe 



THE OLD WAY. 159 

in Christ." The believer must, however, be 
redeemed from everything that is in opposi- 
tion to the will of God. He must crucify the 
flesh, with the affections and lusts thereof, 
{Gal. V. 24,) no matter how disagreeable and 
repulsive it may be to his nature. {Matt v. 
29, 30.) "Abstain from all fleshly lusts, which 
war against the soul." (1 Pet. ii. 11.) "Lay 
aside every weight, and the sin which doth so 
easily beset us." {Heh. xii. 1.) 

2. Be Sober. Soberness is the opposite of 
drunkenness. Drunkenness literally is the 
state of being robbed of the proper use of our 
senses, by having been overpowered by the 
immoderate use of spirituous liquors. Thus 
spiritually may our senses be robbed of their 
proper activity by being overpowered by an 
immoderate care in temporal concerns. {Mark 
iv. 19.) In such a condition we become dis- 
qualified for the service of God. The believer 
has a perfect right to use all earthly blessings 
for his benefit, only he must be careful not to 



160 THE OLD WAY. 

have his heart overcharged with them. [Luke 
xxi. 34.) He must so " use this world, as not 
abusing it; for the fashion of this world 
passeth away." (1 Cor. vii. 31.) "Let us watch 
and be sober." (1 Thess. v. 6-8.) ^^ Be sober." 
(1 Pet, i. 13.) 

3. Be Vigilant The believer has been 
awakened, and has also arisen from spiritual 
slumber ; but he is exposed to continual danger 
of growing cold and lukewarm, and of return- 
ing again to the beggarly elements of the 
world. Satan, the world, sin, and a nature 
if not wholly sanctified, exert every effort to 
make the believer indifferent in the Christian 
race. Satan goeth about as a roaring lion, 
(1 Pet V. 8,) and even, occasionally, as an 
angel of light, (2 Cor. xi. 14,) seeking whom 
he may devour. The lust of the eye, the lust 
of flesh, and the pride of life dance bewitch- 
ingly around the believer in their thousand- 
fold allurements, endeavoring to entice him 
from the "Old Way," and lead him to destruc- 



THE OLD WAY. 161 

tion. You must therefore be vigilant. You 

must watch over your heart, your thoughts, 

your words, your actions, yea, you must watch 

at all times and under all circumstances, so 

that your adversaries will never find you off 

your guard, but always prepared, whenever 

attacked, " to withstand in the evil day, and 

having done all to stand.'^ {Ejph, vi. 13.) 

" And what I say unto you, I say unto all. 

Watch." {Marie xiii. 37.) "Therefore let us 

not sleep as do others ; but let us watch." (1 

Thess, V. 6.) '^Blessed is he that watcheth." 

{Rev. xvi. 15.) 

4. Faithfully Study the Holy Scriptures. 

The Bible is a book of divine wisdom. It 

testifies of the Being of God, of his wisdom, 

omnipotence, justice, holiness, benevolence, 

love, and especially of Jesus, the Saviour of 

mankind, that he is the light of the world, 

the life, the strength of the believer, and the 

only source of salvation. It contains the 

whole " counsel of God," discloses unto man 
14* L 



162 THE OLD WAY. 

all his duties, shows how he is to demean him- 
self in every condition and circumstance of 
life, and what to perform in order to secure 
the approbation of God. Therefore study the 
Scriptures daily. "Consider," says Dr. H. 
Winslow, "that it is your duty not only to 
read the Bible, but earnestly to seek to under- 
stand it. The more attentively you study it, 
the more will you enjoy it; and your convic- 
tion will constantly increase, that ' all Scrip- 
ture is given by inspiration of God, and is 
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correc- 
tion, for instruction in righteousness, that 
the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly 
furnished unto all good works.' " " Search 
the Scriptures." [John v. 39 ; Acts xvii. 11.) 
" We have also a more sure word of prophecy ; 
whereunto ye do well that ye take heed." (2 
Pet I 19.) 

5. Cultivate a Spirit of Prayer. Prayer is 
the offering of the emotions and desires of the 
soul to the Most High, the communion of the 



THE OLD WAY. 163 

heart with God in the name of Jesus, by the 
assistance of the Holy Spirit, and is to every 
believer the very life of his spiritual existence. 
Cultivate, therefore, the spirit of prayer. Let 
every thought, every desire, every affection of 
the soul be fixed on God, and live in continual 
intercourse with him. Commune with him at 
all times, and you will derive vigor and power 
from on high. Yea, your strength will be 
daily renewed, so that you can mount up with 
wings as eagles, run and not be weary, and 
w^alk in the " Old Way/' and not faint. {Isa. 
xl. 29-31.) ^^ Continue instant in prayer.^' 
{Rom. xii. 12.) "In everything by prayer and 
supplication, with thanksgiving, let your re- 
quests be made known unto God." {Phil. 
iv. 6.) 

6. Observe Seaso7is of Abstinence and Fast- 
ing. Although Jesus fasted himself, {Matt. 
iv. 2,) yet it does not appear that he, either 
by command or his practice, instituted any 
particular fast-days ; but he clearly intimated 



164 THE OLD WAT. 

that his followers would fast after his death, 
{LuJce V. 34, 35,) which they also frequently 
did, {Acts xiii. 3 ; 1 Cor. vii. 5 ; 2 Cor. vi. 5 ; 
xi. 27,) as occasion and circumstances required. 
His instructions, however, on this subject dis- 
tinctly indicate it to be a duty. It is unques- 
tionably a great advantage to the believer to 
observe this duty occasionally. It will greatly 
assist him in delivering him from the dominion 
of the world, and prove a very effectual means 
of subduing every irregular propensity and 
desire. When the body is brought into 
proper subjection, the spirit will more readily 
raise itself to God, and advance in the divine 
life. A pious German writer quaintly, but 
very truthfully says, "It kindles the spirit 
and devotion. Dry wood will burn sooner 
than damp. A dry tinder receives the spark, 
and not a wet one. The object of fasting is 
to bring into subjection the desires of sense, 
and to crucify the flesh." " When ye fast, be 
not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance; 



THE OLD WAY. 165 

for they disfigure their faces that they may 
appear unto men to fast/' {3IaU. vi. 16.) '^This 
kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting/' 
{Matt xvii. 21.) 

7. Improve every Spiritual Gift that you re- 
ceive, to the Glory of God. Whoever will not 
improve properly the talents intrusted to his 
care, cannot expect to retain them, (Matt. xxv. 
29;) and whoever will not follow the light 
which he receives from heaven and will let it 
shine to glorify God, and benefit mankind, 
will gradually lose it again. Put your talents, 
therefore, " to the exchangers,'' that they may 
be increased. The more you will labor at 
your own improvement and in the cause of 
God, the more grace you will receive, and the 
faster you will advance in the divine life. 
The religious and benevolent affections, like 
the intellectual and physical powers, expand 
and grow stronger by exercise. If you 
neglect to exercise yourself daily in godliness 
and doing good to your fellow-men, you will 



166 THE OLD WAY. 

finally lose again^ what you had accumulated. 
" Look to yourselves, that we lose not those 
things which we have wrought." (2 John 
8.) 

8. Observe every Ordinance of God. Every 
ordinance of God should receive your most 
sacred and solemn attention. Do not pass by 
a single command, or neglect knowingly a 
single precept. Strictly observe every private 
and public ordinance of God's house. I 
would direct your attention particularly to 
the holy sacraments, Baptism and the Lord^s 
Supper. These are certainly very impressive 
and solemn ordinances, and who ever de- 
preciates and treats them indifferently, or does 
not observe them at all, is guilty of the cen- 
surable conduct of the Scribes and Pharisees, 
who rejected the counsel of God toward them- 
selves. (Luhe vii. 30.) It is the solemn duty 
of every believer to be baptized once in his 
life — in childhood or at an adult age — with 
water, in the name of the Holy Trinity. It 



THE OLD WAY. 167 

is of equal importance to partake of the 
Lord's supper on every suitable occasion. 
[Liihe xxii. 19; 1 Cor. xi. 26.) You cannot 
deliberately neglect, or indifferently celebrate 
tbis ordinance, without robbing yourself of a 
great privilege, and sustaining a serious loss 
to your spiritual life. No true lover of the 
blessed Saviour will refuse to take advantage 
of this exalted privilege, to commemorate the 
sufferings and death of Jesus, whenever an 
opportunity is afforded, unless he has a suffi- 
cient reason to do so. Whenever it is cele- 
brated in conformity to the design of the great 
Head of the Church, and is received worthily 
in a spirit of prayer and faith, it becomes an 
efficient means of promoting the development 
of the inner man. The believers in the 
apostolic age, who were in a healthy and 
growing state of grace, observed this ordinance 
very frequently. {Acts ii. 42-46.) " Teaching 
them to observe all things whatsoever I have 
commanded you." (J/a^. xxviii. 20.) ^' Ye are 



168 THE OLD WAT. 

my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command 
you/' {John xv. 14.) 

9. Seelc Intei^GOurse and Cultivate an Intimate 
Acquaintance with Experienced and God- Fear- 
ing Persons. It has been truly said by Dr. 
H. Winslow: "We imperceptibly and almost 
unavoidably assimilate to the character of 
those with whom we are intimate;" and, 
" The social principle may thus be applied 
with great power in promoting our growth 
in piety." Advanced believers, fathers in 
Christ, who have a deep experience in the 
divine life, can be very useful to inexperienced 
persons, babes, and young men in Christ, in 
helping them along in the " Old Way." By 
hearing those who are farther advanced re- 
lating what the Lord has done for their souls, 
you will be encouraged to press forward after 
similar attainments and experiences. (Ps. 
Ixvi. 16.) Such intercourse with the devotedly 
pious, where you can unreservedly unbosom 
your hearts, converse freely upon your spirit- 



THE OLD WAY. 169 

ual interests, and mingle your sympathies and 
prayers at the throne of grace, is highly ad- 
vantageous. "They that feared the Lord 
spake often one to another; and the Lord 
hearkened and heard it ; and a book of re- 
membrance was written before him for them 
that feared the Lord, and that thought upon 
his name." {Mai. iii. 16.) Reading religious 
publications, especially biographies of distin- 
guished godly persons, will also be very bene- 
ficial, and will aid in promoting you in the 
growth of grace. "He that walketh with 
wise men shall be wise." {Prov. xiii. 20.) 
" Iron sharpeneth iron ; so the countenance of 
a man his friend." {Prov. xxvii. 17.) 

10. Be Diligent. Diligence is indispen- 
sable if you desire to make any progress in the 
divine life. Lukewarmness is incompatible 
with a healthy and growing state of grace. 
Therefore be diligent in the discharge of all 
your duties, not only in public, but also in 

private, not only on the Sabbath, but also in 
15 



170 THE OLD WAY. 

the week ; for lukewarmness in religion is ac- 
cursed of God. {Jer. xlviii. 10; Bev, iii. 15, 
16.) "Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do it 
with thy might." {Ecc, ix. 10.) "Thou hast 
commanded us to keep thy commandments 
diligently." (Ps. cxix. 4; 2 Pet. i. 5, 10.) 

11. Observe a Stated Time for Self-Exami- 
nation. The object of self-examination is to 
obtain a correct knowledge of our heart and 
moral character. It is of vast importance in 
promoting growth in the divine life. By 
self-examination we become thoroughly ac-. 
quainted with all the impulses, desires, and 
inclinations of the heart, as well as with all 
our defects and shortcomings. By it we also 
learn our dependence upon God, and become 
better acquainted with our nn worthiness and 
utter helplessness,, and how much grace we 
need in order to walk worthy of the gospel of 
Christ. "Search me, O God, and know my 
heart ; try me, and know my thought ; and 
see if there be any wicked way in me, and 



THE OLD WAY. 171 

lead me in the way everlasting." (Ps. cxxxix. 
23, 24.) " Examine yourselves whether you be 
in the faith ; prove your own selves." (2 Cor, 
xiii. 5.) 

12. Have Faith in God. Without faith 
there is no experience in the divine life, nor 
any development in the same, possible. Faith 
always remains the cardinal principle of ex- 
perimental religion. By it we come to Christ 
and are brought into communion with God. 
There are different degrees of this faith ; it may 
be either weak, or strong. In the commence- 
ment it is, comparatively speaking, generally 
weak; but it develops itself and grows by 
continual exercise; and uniformly, according 
to the vigor and activity of our faith, we will 
progress in the divine life. Faith is, as it 
were, the eye, the ear, the hand and the foot 
of the believer, and notwithstanding that it 
must also develop itself, and be perfected, 
yet the advancement of the believer is prin- 
cipally conditioned upon its continued ex- 



172 THE OLD WAY. 

ercise. Every act of faith is a step forward 
in the "Old Way/' is an approximation to 
maturity in Christian experience, to manhood 
in Christ; and this exalted state will, after 
every struggle and effort, after the most con- 
scientious fidelity and diligence, after a proper 
development of the divine life in the soul, be 
attained only by faith. Exercise, therefore, 
your faith continually, walk honestly and 
conscientiously in all the statutes of God, dis- 
charge faithfully every Christian duty, rely 
implicitly and continually upon the precious 
promises of God's holy Word, appropriate to 
yourself the Lord Jesus Christ in all his 
offices, as Prophet, Priest, and King, yea, in 
his entire work of redemption, and, sooner or 
later, it shall be according to your faith, and 
you will have attained to a state of Chris- 
tian manhood. " Be not afraid, only believe." 
(Marie V. 36.) "All things are possible to 
him that believeth." {Marh ix. 23.) " Who 
through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought 



THE OLD WAY. 173 

righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the 
mouths of lions, quenched the violence of 
fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of 
weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in 
fight, turned to flight the armies of the 
aliens." {Heb, xi. 33, 34.) 

"Open my faith's interior eye: 
Display the glory from above ; 
And all I am shall sink and die, 
Lost in astonishment and love. 

" Confound, o'erpower me by thy grace ; 
I would be by myself abhorred; 
All might, all majesty, all praise, 
All glory, be to Christ my Lord. 

"Now let me gain perfection's height; 
Now let me into nothing fall. 
As less than nothing in thy sight. 
And feel that Christ is all in all." 
15* 



CHAPTER VII. 




THE GLOEIOUS PEIVILEGE OF THE OLD 
WAY. 

THE ASSUEA^rCE OF BEIXG IN A STATE OF SALYA- 
TIOX — DEXOMIXATIOXAL TESTIMO^aES. 

T is impossible to imagine a happier 

state upon earth than to know that 

God is our reconciled Father, and 

to be positively assured of his divine favor. 

To possess this knowledge and assurance is 

the glorious privilege of every one who ls in 

the "Old Way." 

True religion consists not in imagination, 

but is a matter of the understanding and 

heart, something realy within the reach of 

every human being, and can be brought into 

actual experience by every one. It is, there- 

174 



THE OLD WAY. ^ 175 

fore, supremely absurd, and a very injurious 
error, to affirm that we can never attain any 
satisfactory assurance in this life in the all- 
important affiiir of our salvation. Indeed, 
religion would affi)rd very little consolation, 
if we would be compelled all the days of our 
life to fluctuate between fear and hope, and 
life and death. Thank God, there is no occa- 
sion for it, there is something substantial, 
something satisfactory, in genuine religious 
experience. In this way every one can attain 
to an unquestionable assurance and perfect 
certainty of his state of salvation and of 
eternal life; this is the united testimony of the 
Word of God, and all true believers in every 
branch, and period of the Church. 

To be a true believer, or a man of the 
world ; to be a child of God, or a child of the 
devil ; to be in the way to heaven and eternal 
glory, or in the downward road to eternal 
perdition, and not hnow it f Such a supposi- 
tion would be as unreasonable as it is anti- 



176 THE OLD WAY. 

scriptural. The Sacred Oracles, in the Old and 
New Testament, insist on a vital and conscious 
work of grace. This will be obvious to the 
serious and truth-loving reader, if he will con- 
sider what the Holy Scriptures say concerning 
the condition of believers. I will briefly 
notice a few particulars. 

1. JRemission of Sins. Every true believer 
enjoys the pardon of all his sins. " Son, be 
of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee." 
{Matt. ix. 2.) " In whom we have redemp- 
tion through his blood, the forgiveness of 
sins." (Eph. i. 7.) 

2. Peace. Every true believer enjoys the 
peace of God in his soul. " There is no peace, 
saith the Lord, for the wicked." (Isa. xlviii. 
22.) " Therefore, being justified by faith, we 
have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus 
Christ." {Rom. v. 1.) 

3. New Creature. Every true believer is a 
thoroughly changed, or, spiritually, a quite 
new man. "A new heart will I give you, 



THE OLD WAY. 177 

and a new spirit will I put within you ; and 
I will take awaj the stony heart out of your 
flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh." 
(Ezeh. xxxvi. 26.) " Therefore, if any man be 
in Christ, he is a new creature ; old things are 
passed away; behold all things are become 
new.'' (2 Cor, v. 17.) 

4. Adoption. Every true believer is an 
adopted child of God. " For ye have not re- 
ceived the spirit of bondage again to fear; but 
ye have received the spirit of adoption, where- 
by we cry, Abba, Father. The spirit itself 
beareth witness with our spirit, that we are 
the children of God." {Rom, viii. 15, 16.) 
"And because ye are sons, God hath sent 
forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, 
crying, Abba, Father." {Gal iv. 6.) "Be- 
loved, we are now the sons of God." (1 John 
iii. 1, 2.) 

5. Communion with God, Every true be- 
liever lives in communion with God. "I 

will dwell in them, and walk in them ; and I 
M 



178 THE OLD WAY. 

will be their God, and they shall be my 
people/' (2 Cor. vi. 16.) "Truly our fellow- 
ship is with the Father, and with his Son 
Jesus Christ." (1 John i. 3.) 

6. Possession of the Holy Spirit Every 
true believer possesses the Holy Spirit. " He 
that believeth on me, as the Scriptures hath 
said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of 
living water. But this he spake of the 
spirit which they that believe on him should 
receive." {John vii. 38, 39.) "The love of 
God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy 
Ghost which is given us." {Bom. v. 5 ; 1 Cor. 
vi. 19.) 

If these declarations are correct, (and who 
will presume, in the face of the numerous 
scriptural evidences, to deny them,) namely, 
that true believers enjoy the remission of their 
sins, and peace with their Maher, are new crea- 
tures, and children of the living God, live in 
communion with the Most High, and are in 
possession of the Holy Spirit, how, then, can 



THE OLD WAY. , 179 

any person of a sane mind suppose all these 
things possible, and the believer to be ignorant 
of them ? To entertain such a supposition 
would be perfectly absurd, and supremely 
ridiculous ! The above representations are no 
rhetorical flourishes, no glittering generalities, 
but actual blessings in actual possession by 
every genuine believer, and they are as per- 
fectly satisfied in their hearts of these things 
as of their own personal existence. Dr. A. 
Clarke very appropriately observes, in refer- 
ence to the doctrine of assurance, "What is 
Christianity without it? A mere system of 
ethics; an authentic history; a dead letter. 
It is by the operations of the Holy Spirit 
in the souls of believers, that the connection 
is kept up between heaven and^arth. The 
grand principle of the Christian religion is to 
reconcile men to God by Christ Jesus; to 
bring them from a state of wrath to reconcilia- 
tion and favor with God; to break the power, 
cancel the guilt, and destroy the very being 



180 THE OLD WAY. 

of sin ; for Christ was manifested that he 
might destroy the works of the devil. And 
can this be done in any human soul, and it 
know nothing about it, except by inference 
and conjecture? Miserable state of Chris- 
tianity indeed, where no man knows that he 
is born of God ! This assurance of God^s 
love is the birthright and common privilege 
of all his children. It is a general experience 
among truly religious people : they take rest, 
rise up, work, and live under its influence. 
By it they are carried comfortably through 
all the ills of life, bring forth the fruits of the 
Spirit, triumph in redeeming grace, and die 
exulting in Him whom they know and feel to 
be the God of their salvation." 

It is, however, readily admitted, that this 
assurance may be brighter in the experience 
of some, than in others ; but, notwithstanding, 
it is the glorious and exalted privilege of 
every genuine believer, who maintains a close 
walk with God, to have an evidence of his 



I 



THE OLD WAY. 181 

acceptance, in a satisfactory degree. This is not 
a doctrine of recent origin ; but is the simple, 
unsophisticated truth of Divine Inspiration. 

The saints of old were none of those who 
ran " uncertainly/^ " beating the air," (1 Cor. 
ix. 26,) but they built upon an immovable 
foundation, {Isa. xxviii. 16 ; 1 Cor. iii. 11,) upon 
the foundation of the apostles and prophets, 
[Eph. ii. 20,) upon a rock, (Ps. xl. 2,) in order 
that their goings might be estahlished, or, ac- 
cording to another translation, that they could 
take certain steps. This fact we learn from 
numerous passages in the Sacred Scriptures. 
"The Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the 
deep things of God. For what man knoweth 
the things of a man, save the spirit of man 
which is in him ? even so the things of God 
knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Kow 
we have received not the spirit of the world, 
but the spirit which is of God ; that we might 
know the things that are freely given to us of 

God." (1 Cor. ii. 10-12.) "AYe know that we 
16 



182 THE OLD WAY. 

have passed from death unto life.'' (1 John 
iii. 14.) "And hereby we know that he 
abideth in us, by the spirit which he has given 
us." (1 John iii. 24.) "And we know that 
we are of God, and the whole world lieth in 
wickedness. And we know that the Son of 
God is come, and has given us an understand- 
ing that we may know him that is true." 
(1 John V. 19, 20.) "For we know, that, if 
our earthly house of this tabernacle were dis- 
solved, we have a building of God, a house 
not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." 
(2 Cor. V. 1.) 

From these, and numerous other passages 
of Divine Eevelation, which might be quoted, 
we perceive distinctly, and beyond controversy, 
that it is possible to attain to an unquestionable 
certainty, in the " Old Way," in the imj)ortant 
concern of our salvation. Dear reader, ex- 
amine every passage closely and impartially, 
and judge for yourself, whether any person 
can honestly come to any other conclusion 



THE OLD WAY. 183 

from their contents. These passages, I think, 
indubitably establish the following six undeni- 
able propositions, namely : 

1) That believers hnow the things that are 
freely given to them of God. 

2) That they hnoiUy that they have passed 
from (spiritual) death unto (spiritual) life. 

3) That they hnoio, that Christ is in them. 

4) That they hnoWj that they are of God. 
6) That they hnow^ that God has given 

them an understanding that they hnow him 
that is true. 

6) That they hnoic, that, if their earthly 
house of this tabernacle were dissolved, they 
have a building of God, a house not made 
with hands, eternal in the heavens, or expressed 
in simple language ; that they hnoio, that they 
shall die happy. This is, indeed, a very 
encouraging and soul-cheering doctrine. To 
possess this blessed assurance is the peculiar 
privilege of those only who are in the ^^Old 
"Way ; " nowhere else can this privilege be 



184 THE OLD WAY. 

enjoyed. Genuine religion is truly something 
glorious, it is a divine work, it permeates and 
influences the whole man, body, soul, and 
spirit, and no human being can possibly enjoy 
it and be ignorant of its possession. This is 
the doctrine of the Holy Scriptures and of all 
orthodox Christian denominations, as we may 
learn from the following testimonies. 

I. Episcopal Church. " It is the office 
of the Holy Ghost to assure us of the adop- 
tion of sons, to create in us a sense of the 
paternal love of God toward us, to give us an 
earnest of our everlasting inheritance. {Rom. 
V. 1; Gal, iv. 6; Rom. viii. 15, 16.) As, 
therefore, we are born again by the Spirit, and 
receive from him our regeneration, so we are 
also assured by the same Spirit of our adop- 
tion ; and because being sons, we are also heirs, 
heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ, by 
the same Spirit we have the pledge, or rather 
the earnest of our inheritance.^' — BisJiop 
Fearson. 



THE OLD WAY. 185 

II. Moravian Church. " God is like- 
wise so gracious, and gives to man, who is 
made a partaker of the sufferings, death, and 
blood of Jesus Christ, and who, by the obedi- 
ence of Christ, is justified before God, a firm 
conviction, an internal consciousness, and a 
feeling of His grace, of His complacency with 
him, of the remission of sin, and that he is 
acceptable unto Him in his dear Son; and 
this feeling imparts quiet and rest to the 
heart. It is, however, to be observed, that 
this feeling, which is founded on the gospel, 
has its degrees, and may be stronger with one 
person who finds mercy in the blood of Christ, 
than with another ; nevertheless, it is no work 
of the imagination, but a real operation of the 
Holy Spirit." — A. G. Spangenherg, 

III. Lutheran Church. " He does not 

simply cherish a faint hope, that he will save 

his soul ; but he is perfectly satisfied of the 

truth, that Christ^s sheep shall never perish, 

neither shall any one pluck them out of his 
16* 



186 THE OLD WAY. 

hand. He does not say, with a stammering 
tongue, ' Oh, I hope God will be merciful to 
me for Christ's sake, he will forgive my sins, 
and receive me as his child ; ' but he bids de- 
fiance to sin, hell, and satan, and declares with 
undoubted certainty, ^ I have obtained mercy, 
my sins are pardoned ! Who shall lay any- 
thing to the charge of God's elect?''' — /. G. 
Brasiberger. 

lY. Eefoemed Church. "Jesus will 
not permit a soul, who is really in earnest to 
be made a partaker of Him, to fail, and if 
satan seeks to sift it as wheat, Jesus prays 
that its faith may not fail. Is faith, is that 
confidential and assuring trust in Him, in 
the beginning comparatively weak in some, 
gradually it becomes stronger, and finally 
eventuates into a perfect certainty, so that such 
a soul can glory and say, ^ I will greatly re- 
joice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in 
my God; for he hath clothed me with the 
garment of salvation, and covered me with 



THE OLD WAY. 187 

the robe of righteousness/ {Isa. li. 10.) " — J, 
C A. Helfenstein. 

Y. Peesbyteeian Church. "Although 
hypocrites, and other unregenerated men, may 
vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and 
carnal presumptions of being in the favor of 
God and estate of salvation, which hope of 
theirs shall perish, yet such as truly believe in 
the Lord Jesus, and walk in all good conscience 
before him, may in this life be certainly as- 
sured that they are in a state of grace, and may 
rejoice in the hope of the glory of God ; which 
hope shall never make them ashamed. 

"This certainty is not a bare conjectural and 
probable persuasion, grounded upon a fallible 
hope ; but an infallible assurance of faith, 
founded upon the divine truth of the promises 
of salvation, the inward evidence of those 
graces unto which these promises are made, 
the testimony of the Spirit of adoption wit- 
nessing with our spirits that we are the children 
of God : which Spirit is the earnest of our 



188 THE OLD WAY. 

inlaeritance, whereby we are sealed to the day 
of redemption." — Confession of Faith. 

YI. Baptist Church. "Xow it is not 
very hard to know whose we are, whether we 
be our own, Christ's or the world's, Christ's 
or the devil's. ... If we truly believe in 
Christ, then he is ours, for it is by faith that 
we receive him, and are united to him, and 
made one with him, {John i. 12, 13,) and are 
by his Spirit and word regenerated and made 
new creatures, and are enabled to walk after 
the Spirit, and not after the flesh. (2 Cor. v. 
17 ; Bom. viii. 1, 2.) He that believeth hath 
the witness in himself, (1 John v. 10,) he need 
not go far to seek : make sure thy believing in 
Christ, and thou hast the witness in thyself 
that he is thine, and that thou art his." — J. 
Bunyan. 

VII. Methodist Chuech. "The manner 
how the divine testimony is manifested to the 
heart, I do not take upon me to explain. 
Such knowledge is too wonderful and excellent 



THE OLD WAY. 189 

for me: I cannot attain to it. The wind 
bloweth, and I hear the sound thereof; but I 
cannot tell how it cometh, or whither it goeth. 
As no one knoweth the things of a man, save 
the spirit of a man that is in him ; so the 
manner of the things of God knoweth no 
man, save the Spirit of God. But the fact 
we know; namely, that the Spirit of God 
does give a believer such a testimony of his 
adoption, that while it is present to the soul, 
he can no more doubt the reality of his son- 
ship than he can doubt of the shining sun, 
while he stands in the full blaze of his beams." 
J» Wesley, 

YIII. United Beetheen of Christ. 
"The importance and necessity of the witness 
of the Spirit can not be too faithfully and 
earnestly urged upon all by ministers and 
Christians, and this can only be successfully 
done by insisting upon a thorough internal 
change, and no rest should be given the peni- 
tent until he knows this by the witness of the 



190 THE OLD WAY. 

Spirit. He had better never be comforted 
unless he is comforted by the Spirit of God. 
TVe need not attempt to inform the mourner 
that he is converted, for such is beyond our 
power to do. That is the exclusive work of 
the Spirit, and when the change is complete, 
he will not fail to indicate the cheering in- 
telligence to the heart.'' — W. J. Shuey. 

IX. Evangelical Associatio:n^. "He 
that has been awakened from the sleep of sin, 
has arisen from spiritual death, and has come 
to Christ, the Life, by repentance and faith, 
also feels the spiritual life within himself; 
whoever does not realize it, has not received 
the Spirit of Christ ; for when Christ revives 
a person by his Spirit, or brings him from 
death to life, he is no longer spiritually dead, 
not possessing the ability to serve God in 
Spirit and in truth, but is spiritually alive. . . 
The Spirit of God also testifies with their 
spirit, that they are children of God, and 
comforts them ; therefore they are frequently 



THE OLD WAY. 191 

filled with consolation and joy. The love of 
God flows continually into their hearts and 
banishes all slavish fear of death and hell." — 
G. Miller. 

If it were necessary, I might also quote ex- 
tracts from the writings of Congregationalists, 
Independents, Menonites, and numerous other 
Christian denominations, equally decided and 
emphatic on this subject. All truly orthodox 
Christians believe and teach this doctrine. 
The Bible and experience perfectly accord in 
this matter. Let no one, therefore, flatter 
himself to be a true believer, to be in the 
" Old Way," in Christ, if he does not possess 
the assurance in his heart, that he is in a state 
of salvation. 

Wq are always deeply concerned to under- 
stand clearly our secular affairs, and it is cer- 
tainly right and praiseworthy to be thus 
minded; but how infinitely more important 
is it to secure an unquestionable and positive 
certainty in relation to our eternal welfare ! I 



192 THE OLD WAY. 

will close my observations by giving an ex- 
tract on this subject from that very excellent 
book, by the sainted Eaxter, entitled ^'Sainfs 
Rest." I would not only respectfully request 
the reader, carefully to read the extract, but 
the entire section ; yes, the whole book, as its 
perusal will amply compensate him for his 
trouble. 

"Is there such a glorious rest so near at 
hand? And shall none enjoy it but the people 
of God ? What mean most of the world, then, 
to live so contentedly without assurance of 
their interest in this rest, and neglect the try- 
ing of their title to it ? When the Lord has 
so fully opened the blessedness of that king- 
dom, which none but obedient believers shall 
possess ; and so fully expressed those torments, 
which the rest of the world must eternally suf- 
fer ; methinks they that believe this to be cer- 
tainly true, should never be at any quiet 
in themselves, till they were fully assured of 
their being heirs of the kingdom. Lord, what 



THE OLD WAY. 193 

a strange madness is this, that men, who know 
they must presently enter upon unchangeable 
joy or pain, should yet live as uncertain 
what shall be their doom, as if they had never 
heard of any such state; yea, and live as 
quietly and merrily in this uncertainty, as if 
all were made sure, and there were no danger ! 
Are these men alive, or dead? Are they 
awake, or asleep ? What do they think on ? 
Where are their hearts ? If they have but a 
weighty suit at law, how careful are they to 
know whether it will go for or against them ! 
If they were to be tried for their lives at an 
earthly bar, how careful would they be to 
know whether they should be saved or con- 
demned, especially if their care might surely 
save them ! If they be dangerously sick, they 
will inquire of the physician : What think 
you, sir ; shall I escape, or not ? But in the 
business of their salvation, they are content to 
be uncertain. If you ask most men ^ a reason 

of the hope that is in them,' they will say; 
17 N 



194 THE OLD WAY. 

' Because God is merciful, and Christ died for 
sinners/ and the like general reasons, which 
any man in the world may give as well as 
they; but put them to prove their interest in 
Christ, and in the saving mercy of God, and 
they can say nothing to the purpose. If God 
or man should say to them : What case is thy 
soul in, man ? Is it regenerate, sanctified, and 
pardoned, or not? he would say, as Cain of 
Abel : ^ I know not ; am I my soul's keeper ? 
I hope well ; I trust God with my soul ; I shall 
speed as w^ll as other men do ; I .thank God, I 
never made any doubt of my salvation.' Thou 
hast cause to doubt, because thou never didst 
doubt ; and yet more, because thou hast been 
so careless in thy confidence, "^^hat do thy 
expressions discover, but a wilful neglect of 
thy own salvation? as a shipmaster that 
should let his vessel alone, and say : ^ I will 
venture it among the rocks, and waves, and 
winds ; I will trust God with it ; it will speed 
as well as other vessels.' What horrible abuse 



THE OLD WAY. 195 

of God is this, to pretend to trust God, to 
cloak their own wilful negligence ! If thou 
didst really trust God, thou wouldst also be 
•ruled by him, and trust him in his own ap- 
pointed way. He requires thee to give ' dili- 
gence to make thy calling and election sure,' 
and so trust him. He hath marked thee out 
a way in Scripture, by which thou art charged 
to search and try thyself, and mayest arrive 
at certainty. Were he not a foolish traveller, 
that would hold on his way, when he does not 
knoAV whether he be right or wrong, and say, 
' I hope I am right ; I will go on and trust in 
God ' ? Art thou not guilty of this folly in 
thy travels to eternity ? 'Not considering that 
a little serious inquiry, whether thy way be 
right, might save thee a great deal of labor, 
which thou bestowest in vain, and must undo 
again, or else thou wilt miss of salvation, and 
undo thyself. 

"How canst thou think or speak of the great 
God without terror, as long as thou art un- 



196 THE OLD WAY. 

certain whether he be thy father, or thy 
enemy, and knowest not but all his perfec- 
tions may be employed against thee? or of 
Jesus Christ, when thou knowest not whether 
his blood hath purged thy soul ; whether he 
will condemn or acquit thee in judgment ; or 
whether he be the foundation of thy happiness, 
or a stone of stumbling to break thee, and 
grind thee to powder? . . . "What comfort 
canst thou find in thy friends, and honors, 
and houses and lands, till thou knowest thou 
hast the love of God with them, and shalt 
have rest with him when thou leavest them ? 
0£fer a prisoner, before he knows his sentence, 
either music, or clothes, or preferment ; what 
are they to him, till he knows he shall escape 
with his life? for, if he knows he must die 
the next day, it will be small comfort to die 
rich or honorable. Methinks it should be so 
with thee, till thou knowest thy eternal state. 
When thou liest down to take thy rest, me- 
thinks the uncertainty of thy salvation should 



THE OLD WAY. 197 

keep thee waking, or amaze thee in thy dreams, 

and trouble thy sleep. Doth it not grieve 

thee to see the people of God so comfortable 

in their way to glory, when thou hast no good 

hope of ever enjoying it thyself? How canst 

thou think of thy dying hour ? Thou knowest 

it is near, and there is no avoiding it, nor any 

medicine found out that can prevent it. If thou 

shouldst die this day, (and who 'knows what 

a day may bring forth? ') thou art not certain 

whether thou shalt go to heaven or hell. And 

canst thou be merry, till thou art got out of 

this dangerous state? "What shift dost thou 

make to preserve thy heart from horror, when 

thou remember est the great judgment-day, 

and everlasting flames ? When thou hearest 

of it, dost thou not tremble as Felix ? If the 

'keepers shook, and became as dead men, 

when they sa^v the angel come and roll back 

the stone from Christ^s sepulchre,' how canst 

thou think of living in hell with devils, till 

thou hast some well-grounded assurance that 
17* 



198 THE OLD WAY. 

thou shalt escape it ? Thy bed is very soft, 
or thy heart is very hard, if thou canst sleep 
soundly in this uncertain case. 

" If this general uncertainty of the world 
about their salvation were remediless, then 
must it be borne as other unavoidable miseries. 
But, alas ! the common cause is willful negli- 
gence. The great means to conquer this 
uncertainty is self-examination, or the serious 
and diligent trying of a man's heart and state 
by the rule of Scripture." 

Dear reader, do you possess an assurance of 
your salvation? Examine your heart im- 
partially, prove it carefully by the standard 
of the Bible, and let your conscience answer 
this solemn question as in the sight of God ! 
If you cannot answer it affirmatively, then 
resolve by the help of God to seek it, and do 
not rest satisfied until you have secured the 
positive assurance that you are a child of 
God, and an heir of eternal life and glory ! 
Amen. 



THE OLD WAY. 199 

" Once on the raging seas I rode, 

The storm was loud — the night was dark, 
The ocean yawned — and rudely bio wed 

The wind that tossed my foundering bark ; 
Deep horror then my vitals froze, 

Death-struck, I ceased the tide to stem ; 
When suddenly a star arose — 

It was the Star of Bethlehem. 

"It was my guide, my light, my all — 

It bade my dark forebodings cease ; 
And through the storm and danger's thrall, 

It led me to the port of peace. 
Now safely moored, my peril 's o'er, 

I '11 sing, first in night's diadem, 
Forever and for evermore, 

The Star, the Star of Bethlehem." 




CHAPTER VIII. 

THE GOAL OF THE OLD WAY. 

A PEACEFUL DEATH — DEj^-OMIN-ATIOJ^AL TESTIMO- 
NIES — A GLOEIOUS EESUEEECTION — A PUBLIC 
RECOGISLTION' AT THE DAY OF JUDGMET^^T — EiN^- 
TEANCE INTO ETER^TAL LIFE AND GLOEY. 




HE "Old Way" is the only way to 

true happiness. It is a way of 

pleasantness and the path of peace. 

{Prov. iii. 17.) It is altogether lovely. (S. Song 

V. 16.) Whoever " enters " it {John x.), realizes 

substantial enjoyment in it in this life; for he 

possesses the peace of God which passeth all 

knowledge and understanding, and enjoys the 

blessed assurance in his soul that he is a child 

of heaven and an heir of eternal glory. He 

200 



THE OLD WAT. 201 

is able, by living up to his privileges, to " re- 
joice evermore '^ in this way, (1 Thess. v. 16,) 
as "the Lord will withhold no good thing 
from them that walk uprightly," {Ps. Ixxxiv. 
11;) and "all things shall work together for 
good to them that love God,'' (Rom. viii. 28 ;) 
yea, " they shall be abundantly satisfied with 
the fatness of God's house ; and he shall make 
them drink of the rivers of his pleasures." 
{Ps, xxxvi. 8.) And whoever continues in this 
way, progressing in the divine life, faithfully 
performing every Christian duty, shall not 
only enjoy divine fullness in this world, but 
shall ultimately gain infinite and inconceivable 
happiness in heaven ; " for godliness is profit- 
able unto all things, having the promise of the 
life that now is, and of that which is to come." 
(1 Tim. iv. 8.) 

The "Old Way" leads to: 

1. A Peaceful Death. As long as the be- 
liever has to sojourn on earth, in this " vale of 
tears," he will be subjected to all the various 



202 THE OLD WAY. 

ills and sufferings of this life. The highest 
degree of piety forms no exception in this 
respect. He must not only endure the suffer- 
ings of life common to all the human family, 
but must frequently suffer much additionally 
for Christ's sake. "Yea, and all that will 
live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecu- 
tion." (2 Tim, iii. 12.) The righteous must 
suffer much affliction, (Ps. xxxiv. 19,) and 
through much tribulation he must enter into the 
kingdom of heaven, {Acts xiv. 22 ;) but death 
shall terminate all his sufferings and trials 
forever ; " for our light affliction, which is but 
for a moment, worketh for us a far more ex- 
ceeding and eternal weight of glory ; while we 
look not at the things which are seen, but at 
the things which are not seen ; for the things 
which are seen are temporal ; but the things 
which are not seen are eternal.' ' (2 Cor. iv. 17, 
18.) However much the believer may have to 
endure and suffer on earth, he knows that 
"the sufferings of this present time are not 



THE OLD WAY. 203 

worthy to be compared with the glory which 
shall be revealed in us." {Rom. viii. 18.) 

Death, it is true, is for the person, who is 
out of Christ, the king of terrors ; but to the 
believer he is, in a certain sense, a welcome 
messenger and friend. While those w^ho are 
not in the "Old Way," must sink in black 
despair, in the solemn hour of dissolution, the 
true believer, who is in it, can rejoice in his 
Saviour, and exclaim in the language of Job, 
"For I know that my Eedeemer liveth; 
and though after my skin worms destroy this 
body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, whom I 
shall see for myself, and mine eyes behold, 
and not another," {Job xix. 25-27;) or in the 
language of the royal Singer of Israel : " Yea, 
though I walk through the valley of the 
shadow of death, I will fear no evil ; for thou 
art with me ; thy rod and thy staff they com- 
fort me;" {Ps. xxiii. 4;) or in the language 
of the inspired Apostle : " For me to live is 
Christ, and to die is gain," " having a desire 



204 THE OLD WAY. 

to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far 
better." {Phil i. 21-23.) 

How sublime is the death of the true be- 
liever ! What a contrast between his end and 
that of the impenitent and unregenerate ! 
Whoever is in Christ, and remains in him, is 
safe, and will die a peaceful death, no matter 
wherever he may hold his ecclesiastical rela- 
tions. Mr. Joseph Addison, one of the most 
eminent British writers, during his lingering 
illness, sent for a young nobleman of very 
irregular life and loose opinions, to attend 
him ; and when the latter, with great tender- 
ness, requested to receive his last injunctions, 
he told him, " I have sent for you that you 
may see how a Christian can die." Let us 
now look at the dying testimonies and peace- 
ful deaths of a number of believers of differ- 
ent branches of the Christian Church. 

I. Episcopal Church. Bishop Bever- 
idge during his last sickness did not know any 
of his friends or connections. He was re- 



THE OLD WAY. 205 

peatedly asked by some of his most intimate 
friends, whether he knew them, but he could 
not recognize any one of them. Even his 
devoted companion asked him if he knew her, 
when he inquired, " Who are you ? '' Being 
told that she was his wife, he said he did not 
know her. " Well," said one of his friends, 
'^Bishop Beveridge, do you know the Lord 
Jesus Christ ? " he replied, reviving as if the 
name had produced upon him the influence of 
a charm, " Oh ! yes, I have known Him these 
forty years ; precious Saviour, he is my only 
hope." 

II. MoKAViAN Chuech. Count Zinsen- 
dorf, an eminent light of his denomination, 
said, shortly before his departure, to his son- 
in-law, "I shall now go to the Saviour. I 
am ready and resigned to the will of my Lord. 
He is satisfied with me," etc. 

III. Lutheran Church. P. Melanch- 

thon, the bosom-friend of Dr. Luther, during 

his last illness raised himself on his dying- 
18 



206 THE OLD WAT. 

couch, and with holy joy exclaimed, " If God 
be for us, who can be against us?" When 
his friends inquired if anything ailed him, he 
answered, " Nothing ails me but heaven ! " 

ly. Reformed Ghuech. J. Calvin, as 
his end was approaching, and he was visited by 
the Ministerium on his dying-bed, he addressed 
the preachers, among other things, as follows : 
^^ My brethren ! be ye faithful and steadfast in 
your office after my death, etc. Love one an- 
other affectionately, then will the Lord bless 
your labors. My strength is departed, and I am 
waiting on my deliverance ; it is sufficient for 
me that I live and die to Christ, who is my 
gain, both in life and in death." 

Y. Presbyterian Church. M. Henry, 
the commentator, said on his death-bed, " A 
life spent in the service of God, and commu- 
nion with him, is the most comfortable and 
pleasant life that one can live in the present 
world." 

YL Baptist Church. When E,. Hall 



THE OLD WAY. 207 

was asked in the midst of the most intense 
bodily sufferings, "Are you comfortable in 
your mind ? '^ he immediately answered, " Yery 
comfortable — very comfortable ! " and ex- 
claimed, "Come, Lord Jesus — Come — " He 
hesitated, as if incapable of bringing out the 
last word, when one of his daughters antici- 
pated him by saying, " Quickly,^^ on which 
he gave her a look of the most complacent 
delight ; then closing his eyes, he fell sweetly 
asleep in the arms of his blessed Master. 

yil, Methodist Chuech. E. Watson 
when near eternity exclaimed, "The atone- 
ment is the sinner's short way to God. On 
this rock I rest, — I feel it firm beneath my 
feet. Oh the precious blood of Christ! It 
is all mercy. I long to quit this little abode 
— gain the wide expanse of the skies — rise 
to nobler joys and see God.'' 

yill. United Bretheex in Christ. 
The last words of Bishop W. Otterbein were, 
"Amen! Amen! it is finished. ^Lord, now 



208 THE OLD WAY. 

lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, ac- 
cording to thy wordj for my eyes have seen 
thy salvation.' Jesus ! Jesus ! I die, but thou 
livest, and soon shall I live with thee — the 
conflict is over and past — I begin to feel an 
unspeakable fullness of love and peace divine 
— lay my head on my pillow and be still." 

IX. Evangelical Association. C. Hes- 
ser said to his weeping companion, a short 
time before he expired, "O dear wife, weep 
not for me, but repose confidence in God, he 
will provide for you. It is true I must be 
separated from you; but in heaven we shall 
meet again. We have two children there al- 
ready, of which I am glad," etc. At another 
time he raised both his hands and said, "I 
am going to my God. O Jesus, come and 
convey me there ! " After some more remarks 
of a similar nature he raised one of his hands 
again, and said, " Praise to the Lamb forever 
and ever," and he was no more. 

A similar, or at least a truly peaceful death, 



THE OLD WAY. 209 

is the lot of every one who is in the "Old 
"Way," and continues therein unto the end of 
his life. "Mark the perfect man, and behold 
the upright ; for the end of that man is peace." 
(Ps. xxxvii. 37.) " He that shall endure unto 
the end, the same shall be saved." (Matt. 
xxiv. 13.) "Be thou faithful unto death, and 
I will give thee a crown of life." {Bev. ii. 10.) 
Their death is attended by the ministration 
of angels. Those ministering spirits {Heb. i. 
14) serve them in various capacities in their 
earthly pilgrimage, [Ps. xxxiv. 7; xci. 11,) 
but especially in the solemn hour of dissolu- 
tion, when they convey them home to the 
mansions of eternal glory. [Luke xvi. 22.) 

"How blest the righteous when he dies ! 
When sinks a weary soul to rest! 
How mildly beam the closing eyes ! 

How gently heaves th' expiring breast ! 

"A holy quiet reigns around, — 

A calm which life nor death destroys ; 

And naught disturbs that peace profound 
Which his unfetter'd soul enjoys." 

18* 



210 THE OLD WAY. 

2. A Glorious Resurrection. Numerous 
objections are made against this doctrine. 
Science and Pliilosoptiy are called into requi- 
sition to demonstrate the utter impossibility 
of a resurrection of the body. It is foreign 
to my purpose to enter into critical discus- 
sions, or to answer cavils and objections 
against any doctrine, in this little work ; it is 
sufficient for me, that the teachings of Divine 
Inspiration are unequivocal and clear on this 
subject. "And many of them that sleep in 
the dust of the earth shall awake, some to 
everlasting life, and some to shame and ever- 
lasting contempt." {Dan. xii. 2; Isa. xxvi. 
19.) "Marvel not at this; for the hour 
is coming, in the which all that are in the 
graves shall hear his voice, and shall come 
forth; they that have done good, unto the 
resurrection of life; and they that have done 
evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." 
{John V. 28, 29.) 

The resurrection will be an event of fearful 



I 



THE OLD WAY. 211 

importance and terrific signification, for the im- 
penitent and unbelievers. Their souls shall be 
reunited with their bodies, in which all their 
wicked and ungodly deeds were perpetrated, 
in order to be judged according to the deserts 
of their works, by the Judge of all the earth. 
(2 Cor, V. 10.) For those, however, who are 
in Christ, it will be an event of inexpressible 
joy and glory. Their bodies, which have 
long reposed in the cold embrace of mother 
earth, some hundreds, and others thousands 
of years, shall come forth again. Their bodies, 
although the same as far as their corporeal 
identity and integrity is concerned, will not be 
the old, decrepit, imperfect, and sickly ones, 
which they formerly were in this mortal life ; 
but will be entirely transformed, new, glorified, 
forever redeemed from every disease and im- 
perfection, as St. Paul affirms, " We look for 
the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; who 
shall change our vile body, that it may be 
fashioned like unto his own glorious body, 



212 THE OLD WAY. 

according to the workings whereby he is able 
even to subdue all things unto himself." 
{Phil iii. 20, 21.) Yea, 

''Their flesh shall slumber in the ground, 
Till the last trumpet's joyful sound, 
Then burst their chains with sweet surprise, 
And in their Saviour's image rise." 

When this, in the pages of Sacred "Writ 
clearly indicated, and frequently designated 
epoch, shall arrive, in the gradual develop- 
ment of the plan of human redemption, first 
then, will believers be perfectly redeemed, not 
only from all defilement of sin, which must 
occur in this life, but from all the eifects and 
consequences of sin, in body and soul, in 
eternity; first then, will they be capable of 
enjoying the full measure of happiness and 
glory, which God has prepared for all that 
love him ; first then, will they be able to wave 
the banner of complete victory over their 
combined enemies, and shout triumphantly, 
" O death where is thy sting ? O grave where 



THE OLD "WAY. 213 

is thy victory? But thanks be unto God 
which giveth us the victory through our Lord 
Jesus Christ/' (1 Cor. xv. 55-57.) 

3. A Public Recognition at the Day of Judg- 
ment. Believers will also appear at the judg- 
ment-seat of Christ. " For we must all appear 
before the judgment-seat of Christ." (2 Cor. v. 
10.) They will not appear there, however, to be 
judged in the same sense as the wicked and 
ungodly ; but rather to receive a public recog- 
nition from their Lord and Master in the 
character of a Judge. This recognition will 
transpire publicly in the presence of God, the 
holy angels, the devils, and all mankind. 
Jesus will not forget one, not even the least, 
of his followers. He will recognize them 
all, and confess them before his heavenly 
Father, saying, " These are the price of my 
blood ; they were not ashamed of me and of 
my words, {IfarJc viii. 88 ;) they confessed me 
on every occasion before friend and foe; they 
denied themselves of every sinful gratification ; 



214 THE OLD WAY. 

they renounced the world with all its pomp 
and glory ; they bore their cross, endured re- 
proach, suffered persecution, and accounted 
their own lives not precious for my name's 
sake ; some of them even sealed their profes- 
sion of my name by their own blood, and 
were faithful to my cause, notwithstanding 
every opposition, unto the end of their lives. 
They received my word ; kept my command- 
ments; washed their robes and made them 
white in my blood ; and in my blood have 
they overcome and achieved the victory. 
They are my elect ; they are worthy ; their 
names stand recorded in Heaven, in the Book 
of Life." {Luhe x. 20; Phil. iv. 3.) What a 
dignity and inexpressible honor, to be thus 
recognized and confessed by the King of 
kings, and Lord of lords in that great and 
eventful day ! He will also recognize their 
good works by an approving plaudit. The 
least good act, which, perhaps, may have been 
forgotten by the believers themselves, shall 



THE OLD WAY. 215 

not remain concealed there; for every thing 
shall be revealed in that day, not only the 
evil of the ungodly, but also the good deeds 
of the righteous ; " for God shall bring 
every work into judgment, with every secret 
thing, whether it be good, or whether it be 
evil/' {Ecc. xii. 14.) The Judge will say unto 
them, " I was a hungered, and ye gave me 
meat ; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink ; 
I was a stranger, and ye took me in ; naked, 
and ye clothed me ; I was sick, and ye visited 
me ; I was in prison, and ye came unto me.^' 
The believers — who do not glory in their 
good works, but who performed all with an 
eye single to the glory of God — will be per- 
fectly overwhelmed, and will reply to this 
commendation, "Lord, when saw we thee a 
hungered, and fed thee ? or thirsty, and gave 
thee drink ? When saw w^e thee a stranger, 
and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 
or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and 
came unto thee ? '' Then will the righteous 



216 THE OLD WAY. 

Judge say unto them, " Verily I say unto you, 
Inasmuch as ye have done it to the least of 
these my brethren, ye have done it unto me," 
[MaU. XXV. 37-40;) and, "Well done, good 
and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful 
over a few things, I will make thee a ruler 
over many things.'^ {Matt. xxv. 21.) 

4. Entrance into Eternal Life and Glory. 
The collective host of believers will stand at 
the right hand of the Judge, not one will be 
missing. After they have been recognized 
and confessed before God, angels, devils, and 
man, then "an entrance shall be ministered 
unto them abundantly into the everlasting 
kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ.'^ (2 Pet i. 11.) 

What a glorious spectacle will that event 
be ! I imagine I can behold the congregated 
multitude before the judgment-seat. The 
ancient patriarchs, the devoted prophets, the 
Lord's apostles, the illustrious martyrs, and the 
believers of all ages and of every nation and 



THE OLD WAY. 217 

section of the globe are there. What a mul- 
titude ! They are all attired in spotless robes ; 
for they have washed them, and made them 
white in the blood of the Lamb. They are 
waiting with intense expectation to receive the 
invitation to enter into the Kingdom of Glory. 
The deepest silence and solemnity prevail all 
around. At last, the long expected and wel- 
come moment arrives when they shall take 
possession of the Heavenly Inheritance. The 
Judge arises in awful majesty, yet in friendly 
tones of welcome he addresses the elect, 
" Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the 
kingdom prepared for you from the founda- 
tion of the world." {3Iatt. xxv. 34.) " Every 
word," says Baxter, " is full of life and joy. 
Come — this is the holding forth of the golden 
sceptre, to warrant their approach unto this 
glory. Come now as near as you will ; for 
the enmity is utterly abolished. This is not 
such a Come as they were wont to hear, — 

'Come take up the cross and follow me.' 
19 



218 THE OLD WAY. 

Though that was sweet, yet this much more. 
Ye blessed — blessed indeed, when that mouth 
shall so pronounce them! For though the 
world hath accounted them accursed, and they 
have been ready to account themselves so; 
yet certainly those that he blesseth are blessed ; 
and those whom he curseth, only, are cursed, 
and his blessing cannot be reversed. Of my 
Father — blessed in the Father's love, as well 
as in the Son's, for they are one. The Father 
hath testified his love in their election, dona- 
tion to Christ, sending of Christ, and accept- 
ing his ransom, as the Son hath also testified 
his. Inherit — no longer bondmen, nor ser- 
vants only, nor children under age, who differ 
not in possession, but only in title, from 
servants ; but now they are heirs of the king- 
dom, and joint heirs with Christ. The kingdom 
— no less than the kingdom ! Indeed, to be 
King of kings, and Lord of lords, is our Lord's 
own proper title ; but to be kings, and reign 
with him is theirs. The enjoyment of this 



THE OLD WAY. 219 

kingdom is as the light of the sun ; each has 
the whole, and the rest never the less. Pre- 
pared for you — God is the Alpha, as well as 
the Omega of their blessedness. Eternal love 
hath laid the foundation. He prepared the 
kingdom for them, and then prepared them for 
the kingdom. . . . From the foundation of the 
world — not only from the promise after 
Adam's fall, but from eternity." 

Upon this blessed invitation the countless 
multitude begins to move toward the City of 
the Great King. Angelic hosts, making ce- 
lestial music, surround and accompany them 
to New Jerusalem. Methinks I hear the 
angels sing: 

" They come, they come, the blood-washed band 

From doubt, and pain, and woe ; 
They come to share these heavenly courts 

Where sorrow is no more. 
Here not a cloud shall shade their brows — 

Their eyes ne'er shed a tear ; 
No anxious doubts can pain them now, — 

No sorrowing hearts are here. 



220 THE OLD WAY. 

"They come, they come! long severed ones 

Are all united now ; 
They come with wreaths of gladness twined 

Around each beaming brow. 
They come with rapturous songs of joy, 

Free from all sin and gloom ; 
Free from the ills and toils of life ; 

They come with gladness home." 

How dignified and majestic the procession ! 
The pearly gates on "golden hinges turning," 
open on the command of God, and the glory 
of the celestial world illuminates their path- 
way. Hark ! do you hear the triumphant 
acclamations ? The redeemed of the Lord are 
coming with shoutings, everlasting joy is upon 
their heads, {Isa. xxxv. 10,) their mouths are 
filled with laughter, and their tongues with 
singing, saying, " The Lord hath done great 
things for us, whereof we are glad," (Ps. 
cxxvi. 2, 3.) They approach the city nearer 
and nearer. Finally — finally they stand at 
the entrance. A shout of triumph, like the 
voice of great thunders, and the rushing of 
many waters, arises from the ransomed host, 



THE OLD WAY. 221 

and rolls toward the Throne of the great I 
AM. The whole canopy of heaven rever- 
berates with the praises of the blood-washed 
throng. The city is now in full view before 
them. The building of the wall is of jasper, 
and the city is of pure gold, like unto clear 
glass, and is garnished with all manner of pre- 
cious stones, with jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, 
emerald, sardonyx, sardius, chrysolite, beryl, 
topaz, chrysoprasus, jacinth, and amethyst. 
The gates are of pearls, and the streets of 
pure gold, as if it were transparent glass. 
The city has no need of the sun or moon to 
shine in it, for the glory of God illuminates 
it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. {Rev. 
xxi. 18-23.) They enter. Behold, now they 
stand in the immediate presence of Jehovah's 
dazzling throne. They shine brighter than 
the meridian sun. They receive palms of 
victory and crow^ns of glory, and also golden 
harps to praise the Lord. All the angelic 

hosts salute them with shouts of hearty wel- 
19* 



222 THE OLD WAY. 

come. Xow, with glorified voices they make 
celestial music, and raise the grand Hymn of 
Salvation, and with a full, fervent, and uni- 
versal chorus, sing, "Salvation to our God, 
which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the 
Lamb," {Rev. vii. 10;) and, "Unto him that 
loved us, and washed us from our sins in his 
own blood, and hath made us kings and priests 
unto God and his father ; to him be glory and 
dominion forever and ever ! Amen." [Rev. i. 
5, 6.) The holy angels, their everlasting as- 
sociates, cannot unite in singing the song of 
salvation ; but they will respond, however, in 
full chorus, saying, " Blessing and glory, and 
wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and 
power, and might be unto our God forever 
and ever. Amen." {Rev. vii. 12.) 

Oh, in what a glorious place, and in what a 
blessed society are believers there ! 

"There saints of all ages in harmony meet, 
Their Saviour and brethren transported to greet, 
While anthems of rapture unceasingly roll, 
And the smile of the Lord is the feast of the soul." 



THE OLD WAY. 223 

How unutterably happy are they now, full 
of glory and of God ! Once they were poor 
and wretched, the children of wrath and the 
devil by nature, but now honored and re- 
spected by God and his holy angels in eter- 
nity; once they were full of suffering and 
tears, but now they are filled with ecstatic joy 
and happiness ! " These are they which came 
out of great tribulation, and have washed 
their robes, and made them white in the blood 
of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the 
throne of God, and serve him day and night 
in his temple; and he that sitteth on the 
throne shall dwell among them. They shall 
hunger no more, neither thirst any more; 
neither shall the sun light on them, nor any 
heat. For the Lamb, which is in the midst 
of the throne, shall feed them, and shall lead 
them unto living fountains of waters; and 
God shall wipe away all tears from their 
eyes," {Rev. vii. 14-17;) "and there shall be 
no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, 



224 THE OLD WAY. 

neither shall there be any more pam; for 
the former things are passed away." {Rev, 
xxi. 4.) 

This is the glorious goal of the " Old Way." 
To this exalted destiny does the redemption 
through Jesus Christ lead man. Who would 
not wish to attain this happy lot ? To dwell 
in the presence of God, where there is fullness 
of joy, and pleasures for evermore ? This pri- 
vilege is within the reach of all. No one need 
be excluded from the mansions of eternal 
glory. All who enter, and walk in the " Old 
Way," will reach safely there. May God 
grant that the reader and writer may ulti- 
mately be so fortunate and happy as to be 
numbered amongst that glorious company, 
which will find admittance into the everlast- 
ing kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ ! Amen. 

"What a city! what a glory! 
Far beyond the brightest story, 
Of the ages old and hoary ; 

Ah, 'tis heaven at last! 



i 



THE OLD WAY. 225 

"Softest voices, silver-pealing, 
Freshest fragrance, spirit-healing, 
Happy hymns around them stealing; 
Ah, 'tis heaven at last! 

*'Sin for ever left behind them. 
Earthly visions no more blind them, 
Fleshly fetters cease to bind them; 
Ah, 'tis heaven at last! 

"Now, beneath them all the grieving, 
All the wounded spirit's heaving, 
All the woe of hopes deceiving; 
Ah, 'tis heaven at last! 

"Not a broken blossom yonder, 
Not a link can snap asunder, 
Stay'd the tempest, sheathed the thunder ; 
Ah, 'tis heaven at last! 

"Not a tear-drop ever falleth, 
Not a pleasure ever palleth. 
Song to song for ever calleth ; 
Ah, 'tis heaven at last! 

"Christ himself the living splendor, 
Christ the sunlight mild and tender; 
Praises to the Lamb they render; 
Ah, 'tis heaven at last! 
P 



226 THE OLD WAY. 

"Now at length the veil is rended, 
Now their pilgrimage is ended, 
And the saints their thrones ascended; 
Ah, 'tis heaven at last! 

"Broken death's dread bands that bound them, 
Life and victory around them; 
Christ, the King, himself hath crowned them 
Ah, 'tis heaven at last ! " 






CHAPTER IX. 

CONCLUSION. 

FAEEWELL ADDEESS TO THE EEADEE. 

EAR reader, I must now bid you 
farewell. Permit me, therefore, in 
conclusion, to address a few words 
of exhortation to you. I take for granted, 
that you have read this book carefully and im- 
partially, with a sincere desire to discover the 
truth, and to ascertain your duty in spiritual 
matters. I entertain no doubt, it is your 
earnest desire to be saved, to enter into the 
mansions of eternal glory. Such a desire is 
reasonable, and highly proper, but is not suffi- 
cient in itself to secure the privilege. Balaam, 
the . false prophet, cherished the same desire 

and expressed it in the following language, 

227 



228 THE OLD WAY. 

" Let me die the death of the righteous, and 
let my last end be like his!" {Num. xxiii. 10,) 
and yet, notwithstanding, died a miserable 
death. {Num. xxxi. 8, 16.) 

You have observed clearly, that there is 
only one way that leads to eternal life, and if 
you would be saved, you must submit to its 
conditions. The conditions of this way, I 
have endeavored, according to the best of my 
ability, to explain and illustrate, I presume 
you did not misapprehend me. I did not at- 
tempt to bring any new doctrine to your notice; 
but simply to instruct you in the good and 
pure old Bible truths. In order to be saved, 
you need nothing new. Let no one deceive 
you in this important matter. Beware of the 
deceptions of wicked men and false prophets, 
who may come to you in " sheep's clothing," 
{Matt. vii. 15,) and proclaim another way. 
Jesus Christ is the only Way of Salvation, 
and you must abandon every other. If there 
are various ecclesiastical organizations, yet all 



1 



THE OLD WAY. 229 

the truly orthodox teach, notwithstanding, 
their different views, and forms in external 
things, only one and the same way. It will 
not contribute anything to your salvation, that 
you are united with any branch of the Church 
of God. It is praiseworthy, and in my 
opinion a duty, to belong to a branch of the 
Church; but the best religious organization in 
existence cannot save you, or any one else. 
The Catholic, Episcopalian, Moravian, Lu- 
theran, Reformed, Presbyterian, Congrega- 
tionalist, Mennonite, Baptist, Methodist, or 
whatever the denominational name may be, 
must be saved in the same way, and upon the 
same conditions : for verily God has ordained 
no other. Put not your trust in the external 
forms and ceremonies of the Church : because, 
neither Baptism, the Lord's Supper, going to 
Church, giving of alms, morality, nor all sup- 
posed good works, can secure you a title to 
Heaven. Do not flatter yourself for a mo- 
ment to be a Christian, to be in the "Old 
20 



230 THE OLD WAY. 

"Way ; " as long as you have not truly repented 
of all your sins ; as long as you do not believe 
with all your heart in Christ ; and as long as 
you have not experienced a genuine work of 
grace in your soul. As long as you know 
nothing by personal experience of the remis- 
sion of sins, peace with God, the adoption of soTiSy 
fellowship with the Father, and growth in the 
Divine life, you have not a shadow of a claim 
to eternal glory. Examine, therefore, carefully 
and prayerfully, the ground upon which you 
found the hope of your salvation. Build not 
upon a sandy foundation, but on solid ground, 
on a rock, so that when the rain descends, the 
floods come, and the winds blow, and beat 
upon the house, that it cannot be destroyed. 
{Matt. vii. 24-27.) 

Oh beloved friend, may your salvation be 
of paramount importance to you. May no- 
thing in this life so deeply concern you as 
your eternal welfare! . Interest yourself about 
the "one thing needful," {Luke x. 42;) seek 



THE OLD WAY. 231 

first, by day and night, the kingdom of God 
and his righteousness, {Matt vi. 33;) make 
your peace with your Maker, (2 Cor. v. 20,) 
yea, make your calling and election sure, (2 
Pet i. 10.) If you meet with opposition, do 
not be discouraged. Break loose from the be- 
witching enticements and deceptive allure- 
ments of the world, which have been the ruin 
of so many. What would it benefit you, if 
you should gain the whole world with all its 
pleasures and vanities, honors, riches, and 
glory, if thereby you should lose your soul ; 
for if it is once lost, it is irrecoverably lost, 
(Matt. xvi. 26.) Hear the dying words of a 
Saracenian caliph. In the days of his health 
he possessed all his heart could desire; but 
when he was prostrated upon a bed of sick- 
ness, which proved to be his dying-bed, he 
was miserable and unhappy. He* was ex- 
ceedingly sorry to give up his treasures. He 
commanded that his army, court, and all his 
treasures should pass before him. When he 



232 THE OLD WAY. 

had looked upon all, he exclaimed, "How 
is it possible, that a power so formidable as 
mine, is not able to alleviate the weight of my 
disorder a single grain, or to prolong my life 
only a moment ! " He concluded his reflec- 
tions by the following important observation : 
"Unhappy is that individual who consumes 
his time in accumulating those things which 
he must soon leave, and does not make that 
Being in whom all things are found, the 
principal object of his meditations." Saladin 
the Great, after he had subdued Egypt, passed 
the Euphrates, retaken Jerusalem, and per- 
formed other great exploits, just before he 
died, called the herald who had carried his 
banner before him in all his battles, and com- 
manded him to fasten to the top of a lance the 
shroud in which he was soon to be buried. 
"Go!" said he, "carry the lance, unfurl the 
banner, and, while you lift it up, proclaim, 
'This is all that remains of the glory of 
Saladin the Great!'" 



THE OLD WAY. 233 

Truthfully may the poet say, 

" The world is poor from shore to shore, 

And like a baseless vision ; 
Its lofty domes and brilliant ore, 
And gems and crowns are vain and poor, 

There's nothing sure but Heaven." 

Everything " that is in the world, the lust of 
the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of 
life, is not of the Father, but of the world. 
And the world passeth away and the lust 
thereof; but he that doeth the will of God 
abideth forever." (1 John ii. 16, 17.) 

Oh, dear friend, be not satisfied with the 
mere profession and form of religion, rest not 
until you have found the substance, until you 
possess a positive assurance and undoubted cer- 
tainty that you are " in Christ," that you are 
pardoned, that you are a child of God and an 
heir of eternal life and glory. To attain this 
is your high and exalted privilege, and with- 
out enjoying it, you cannot be truly happy in 

this life, much less be saved in the world to 

20^ 



234 THE OLD WAY. 

come. In Jesus, the "Old Way," you can 
find everything, pardon, peace, rest, holiness, 
assurance, life, and happiness. There is abso- 
lutely no necessity in this most important of 
all concerns, your soul's salvation, to grope 
about in darkness, and to torment yourself all 
the days of your life with doubts and fears. 
Oh, no ; ample provision has been made for 
every soul. The Saviour declares, " I am 
come that they might have life, and that they 
might have it more abundantly." {John x. 11.) 
Oh, beloved friend, purchased by the most 
precious blood of Jesus, will you continue to 
stray longer in the wilderness of the world, 
in solitary ways of delusive hopes, hungering 
and thirsting and your soul fainting, when 
you can find peace and plenty in the " Old 
Way"? You can obtain "wine and milk 
without money and without price," so that 
your "soul can delight itself in fatness." 
" With joy shall ye draw waters out of the 
wells of salvation." {Isa, xii. 3.) Delay not 



THE OLD WAY. 235 

a single moment to choose the " Old Way/' to 
come to Jesus. "To-day if ye hear his voice, 
harden not your heart." {Heb. iv. 7.) "Be- 
hold, now is the accepted time; behold, now 
is the day of salvation." (2 Cor. vi. 2.) 

Submit unconditionally to your Saviour's 
demands, obey his doctrine, and follow his 
example. He is the " light of the world," 
and if you will faithfully follow him, you 
shall no longer walk in darkness, but you will 
have the light of life, {John 8. 12,) and ulti- 
mately inherit the kingdom of eternal glory, 
for he says, " I am the door, by me if any man 
enter in, he shall be saved." {John x. 9.) 

Let me urge it upon you, then, dear friend, 
before you lay aside this unpretending volume, 
to go into your secret closet, and there upon your 
knees resolve to enter upon the " Old Way." 
Oh, do not hesitate in this matter; but, in the 
fear of God, commence at once. To-morrow it 
may be too late. For your assistance, I will 
here subjoin a prayer, which, I sincerely hope, 



236 THE OLD WAY. 

may be the language of your heart. May 
the God of all grace, and Giver of every good 
and perfect gift, be merciful unto you, open 
the eyes of your understanding, give you re- 
pentance unto life, faith in Jesus, full salva- 
tion, and ultimately save you with all the 
blood- washed throng in Heaven, is my prayer 
for Christ's sake ! Amen. 

PRAYER. 

Eternal and ever blessed Father ! Thou 
art good, and Thou doest good. Thou hast 
revealed Thyself as nigh unto all that call 
upon Thee, to all that call upon Thee in 
truth. Thou art the Giver of every good 
and perfect gift. I acknowledge my depen- 
dence upon Thee. I have erred and strayed 
from Thy ways, and am wandering in the 
ways of sin and unrighteousness. I have 
wearied Thy patience, I have abused Thy 
goodness, I have trampled upon Thy authority, 
and have said within my heart, I desire not 



THE OLD WAY. 237 

the knowledge of Thy ways. I am unworthy 
of Thy notice, and have rendered myself 
justly obnoxious to the curse of Thy holy 
law ; and if Thou wouldst deal with me ac- 
cording to my manifold transgressions and 
just deserts, Thou wouldst have abundant 
reasons to cut me off and consign me over to 
eternal perdition. I acknowledge that I have 
grievously sinned in Thy sight, that I have 
forfeited all favor to Thy regard, and am not 
only unworthy, but in the highest degree 
guilty. I lie at Thy mercy ; if Thou pity me 
not, I am undone — I must perish forever. 

O Thou Most High, I sincerely desire to 
become acquainted with the Way of Salvation. 
I am ignorant in spiritual matters ; my mind 
and understanding are darkened by sin. Open 
my eyes that I may behold the wonders of 
Thy law. What I know not teach Thou me; 
guide me into all truth. May I see divine 
things in a divine light, that, while they in- 
form my judgment, I may be willing to con- 



238 THE OLD WAY. 

secrate my whole life to tlie service and glory 
of God. 

O blessed Father, I would thank Thee for 
Thy long-suffering toward me. Thy thoughts 
toward me have been thoughts of peace, and 
not of evil. Thou didst remember and hadst 
compassion upon me in my low estate. In 
the midst of deserved wrath, Thou didst 
remember mercy. I praise Thee for the gift 
of Thy dear Son, who is the propitiation for 
the sins of the whole world, and through 
whom only a present and eternal salvation 
can be realized. O Lord, I do solemnly re- 
solve this day, this very hour, to renounce 
every sin, everything contrary to Thy right- 
eous and holy will; every false way — and 
henceforth and forever to walk only in Christ, 
who is the WAY, the LIFE, and the TRUTH. 
I present myself before Thee with the deepest 
humiliation and abasement of soul, and re- 
pent in dust and ashes. O merciful God, for 
Jesus' sake, pardon my numerous and heinous 



THE OLD WAY. 239 

transgressions. Enable me to believe in the 
Lord Jesus Christ with all my heart. May 
I find in Him wisdom, righteousness, sanctifi- 
cation, and redemption. As my Prophet, may 
I receive his instructions. As my High- 
Priest, may I rely on his sacrifice and interces- 
sion. As my King, may I submit to his 
authority and obey his laws. As my Example, 
may I imitate him. As my Way, the only 
Way of Salvation, may I walk in him, keep 
his commandments ; and whatsoever I do in 
word, or in deed, may I do all in the name of 
the Lord Jesus. I would live entirely to 
Thee and for Thy glory. I desire to serve 
Thee with every power and faculty of my 
soul. I would now, this very moment, make 
a full and unconditional surrender to Thee of 
everything I am and possess. Hear Thou, O 
God of Heaven, and record it in the book of 
Thy remembrance, that I now receive Jesus 
Christ, thine only-begotten Son, and Him 
alone, as my all-sufficient Saviour, wholly 



240 THE OLD WAY. 

trusting in his merits for salvation, and that 
I am henceforth thine, exclusively, entirely 
thine, and thine for ever ! Amen. 

" 'Tis done, the great transaction's done ; 
I am my Lord's, and he is mine ; 
He drew me, and I followed on. 

Charmed to confess the voice divine. 

" Now rest, my long-divided heart ; 
Fixed on this blissful centre, rest ; 
Nor ever from my Lord depart : 
With him of every good possessed. 

" High Heaven, that heard the solemn vow, 
That vow renewed shall daily hear, 
Till in life's latest hour I bow. 
And bless in death a bond so dear." 



^ 




AN 



ILLUSTRATED AND DESCRIPTIVE 



CATALOGUE 



OF 



SABBATH SCHOOL BOOKS. 



Pnblislied and For Sale by 

PERKINPINE & HIGGINS, 

56 North Fourth Street, 

PHILADELPHIA. 



TO OUR FRIENDS AND PATRONS. 



We take pleasure in presenting our Mends and patrons, 
and all others interested in Sunday-school Literature, with 
the following Illustrated and Descriptive list of our own 
publications. We cordially invite such to give it a careful 
examination, akd would suggest its preservation 
FOR FUTURE REFERENCE. These books are well printed 
on good white paper, from clear, readable type. They are 
well illustrated, as will be seen by the samples given, and 
some of them quite profusely. The binding is neat and 
attractive, so that in every way the outside appearance of 
the book inclines the reader in its favor. We are gratified 
to know that most of them have received the warmest com- 
mendation, both from the religious press and from schools 
that have them in their libraries. Calculated to elevate the 
character and incite to the practical exhibition of Christian 
principle, they are so written as to interest while they 
profit. 

Scenes and characters of daily life are brought to view, 

impressing the mind with a sense of reality, and teaching 

plain and simple duties, such as are near to all readers. 

It is the opinion of some that many of the Sabbath-school 
2 



PERKINPINE & HIGGINS, PHILADELPHIA. 



books now published draw pictures of Christian effort and 
duty so overstrained and exceptional, that the only effect 
produced is admiration of certain great deeds performed 
or heavy burdens borne, which the youthful reader feels 
will rarely, if ever, fall to his lot either to do or to suffer, 
while the enforcement of the more common duties of life 
is neglected. We think the views of such will be fully met 
in the majority of the books of this list. Wliile they care- 
fully avoid sectarian bias, they are well suited to the 
Sunday-school Libraries of all evangelical churches. The 
prices will be found unusually reasonable for books of the 
size and style, specially so, when the discount which 

WE UNIFORMLY MAKE TO SCHOOLS IS DEDUCTED. 

In addition to our own, we keep a very large assortment 
of Sabbath-school Books, &c., carefully selected from the 
catalogues of all the leading publishers and societies, which 
we sell at the lowest prices. Any books or other Sabbath- 
school requisites which we may not have on hand, we will 
procure to meet orders. Books exchanged, if unsatis- 
factory. 

A catalogue containing names and prices of several 
thousand volumes sent, free, to any address on application. 
PEKKINPmE & HIGGINS, 

56 North Fourth Street, 

philadelphia. 



FERNSIDE LIBRARY. 




6 Volumes. 16mo., nmslin. $7.50. 



23 ILLUSTRATIONS. 

4 



PERKINPINE & HIGGINS, PHILADELrnm. 



The Errand Boy, or your Time is your 
Mn/ployer's, 

16mo., muslin. Four Illustrations *i-z» 

The story of a boy in London who, by steady effort, over- 
came temptations, and gradually acquired a competent sup 
port for his mother and himself. It contains incidents such 
as are happening in the every-day life of many of the chil- 
dren in our mission schools, and teaches in a clear and in- 
teresting manner the duties and temptations of errand boys 
Ann Ash, or Kindness Rewarded. 

16mo., muslin. Four Illustrations $1-25 

A very interesting narrative of a little girl adopted by an 
honest village couple, in place of one they had lost. It is 
full of useful lessons told in a simple and touching manner. 
The story unfolds a beautiful example of piety in humble 
life. 
Anne Dalton, or How to he Useful. 

16mo., muslin. Four Illustrations *l-^5 

A story of two sisters, one plain in appearance and slow 
at learning, but earnestly desirous to do right and make 
herself useful; the other, pretty, quick and selfish. It 
teaches the superiority of goodness of heart over mere per- 
Bonal and mental advantages, and the lesson is enforced in 
a very interesting manner. With it is bound up another 
story called "The Grumbler," illustrating the grace of pa 
tience. 

The Convict's Sons. 

16mo., muslin. Four Illustrations $l-25 

An account of the difficulties which two sons of an English 
convict have to encounter on account of the bad name of 
the father. The " S. S. Times" says of it : The story is well 
told and deeply interesting, and its moral and religious 
character is of the highest tone. It is very suitable for a 
Bunday-achool library book." 



ROSEDALE LIBRARY. 




6 Voltunes. 16mo., muslin. $6.00. 

24 ILLUSTRATIONS. 



PERKINPINE & HIGGINS, PHILADELPHIA. 



Don't Say So, or You may he Mistaken. 

16mo., muslin. Three illustrations $1-25 

A family of English laborers are reduced to extreme 
poverty, but do not lose their confidence in God, nor forget 
Him when returning prosperity crowns their labors. Their 
history teaches in an afi'ecting manner the duty of trust m 
God. 

The Ttvo Firesides, or the Mechanic and 
Tradesman, 

16mo., muslin. Four Illustrations $1-25 

A well-written narrative of a tradesman and mechanic, 
both in modest circumstances, but contrasting strongly as 
to all that constitutes domestic comfort. The importance 
of cheerful, loving, contented minds in making home 
happy is set forth in a very interesting manner. 

The above six volumes are put up in a neat box and sold 
as The Fernside Librabt. Price $7.50. 

Kate Kemp, and the Swan's Egg. 

16mo., muslin. Four Illustrations $1-00 

Two destitute orphans are taken care of by their uncle, 
who is a plain but respectable farmer. One is proud and 
selfish, while the other is constantly devoting herself to the 
comfort and happiness of those around her. The beauty of 
a humble life of self-denial, coupled with fervent faith m 
God, is simply but eloquently pictured, and the interest of 
the narrative draws attention to an earnest practical lesson. 

Joe Fulivood, or Honesty and Perseverance 
Triumphant, 

16mo., muslin. Four Illustrations $1-00 

A story detailing the hardships and trials of a sickly lad, 
whose father had been an operative in a mill, and .ad dieu 
leaving his son unprovided for. The persevering, honest 



ROSEDALE LIBRAEY. 




6 Volmnes l6mo., mnslin. $6.00. 



24 ILLUSTRATIONS. 



PERKINPINE & HIGGINS, PHILADELPHU. 



industry of the boy triumphs over severe difficulties, and 
secures him an honorable position in life. 

lAtUe Jane, or the Reward of Well-Doing, 

16mo., muslin. Four Illustrations $1.00 

A little girl stolen from her friends by a miserable old 
woman for the sake of her labor, but finally rescued and 
restored to a happy home. The story teaches the lesson of 
judicious charity, bringing brightness and blessing as a 
constant return. Interesting and full of instruction. 

Henry Arden, or it is only a Pin, 

16mo., muslin. Four Illustrations $1.00 

The story of a young man who rose to fortune from 
humble beginnings. It illustrates the importance of careful- 
ness in small matters. 

Monest Gabriel, or the Reward of P'cr- 
severance. 

By Mary Howitt. 16mo., muslin. Four Illustra- 
tions , $1.00 

A thoroughly English story in all its scenes and incidents, 
but bringing out the virtues of perseverance and sturdy 
honesty, combined with a humble trust in God, in a manner 
calculated to make a deep impression on the minds of the 
young. The story is written in a fresh and vigorous style, 
and will surely interest and profit all who read it. 

The Little German Drummer Boy, 

16mo., muslin. Four Illustrations $1.00 

A drummer boy of the French army under Napoleon. 
The story is translated from the German, and pictures in 
vivid colors the horrors of war, parental affection and the 
duty of self-sacrifice for the good of others. 

The last six volumes form the The Eosbdale Librabt. 
Price, in a neat box, $6.00. 



SOLDIER BOY'S LIBKARY. 




5 Volumes. 16mo., mnslin. $5.00. 
18 ILLUSTRATIONS. 



10 



PERKINPINE & HIGGINS, PHILADELPHIA. 



The Boy of Mount B,higi, or l>o the IHity 
Nearest to You, 

B7 Mrs. C. M, Sedgwick. 16mo-, muslin. Two 

Steel Plates $1.00 

"It has been written to awaken in those of our young 
people who have been carefully nurtured a sense of their 
duty to those who are less favored, and to teach them that 
they have a treasure to impart to others in the example of 
truth, honesty, fidelity and industry, and in the action of 
hope, patience and kindness." A deeply interesting story. 

JRomantic Belinda, a Book for Girls, 

By Mrs. L. C. Tuthill. 16mo., muslin. Four Il- 
lustrations $1.00 

A story depicting the evils resulting from novel-reading, 
and the struggles of a young girl to overcome pride, self- 
will and romantic expectations by persevering effort, ac- 
companied with prayer and earnest trust in God. 

Tirue Manliness, or The Landscape Gardener, 

By Mrs. Tuthill. 16mo., muslin. Four Illustra- 
tions « , $1.00 

A young man's successful efforts to resist affectation and 
effeminacy are depicted in a very interesting story, bring- 
ing out a variety of character, and leading the reader to 
■earnest admiration of true Christian manhood. 

I urill he a Soldier, 

By Mrs. L. C. Tuthill. 16mo., muslin. Four Il- 
lustrations $1.00 

The story of an orphan boy rising through earnest strug- 
gles to an honorable position in life. He becomes a West 
Point cadet, takes part in the late war, and everywhere car- 
ries with him a determination to be not only a true patriot, 
but a true Christian, "fighting manfully under the banner 
of Christ against the world, sin and the devil." 
11 



PIONEER LIBRARY. 




3 Volumes. 16mo., muslin. $4.50. 

14 ILLUSTRATIONS. 

12 



PERKINPINE & HIGGINS, PHIUDELPHIA. 



J wiU be a Sailor, 

Bv Mrs. L. C. Tuthiil. 16mo., muelm. Four 11- 

^ , ,. $1.00 

lustrations 

A boy educated for the sea becoming a midshipman in the 
U. S. Navy, and serving through the late war with honor 
to himself and credit to the country. 

The last fire volumes are put in a neat box and entitled 
The Soldier Boy's Libbart. Price $5.00. 

Soldiers of the Bible. 

By Rev. W. M. Thayer, author of "The Pioneer 
Boy," ''The Bobbin Boy," &c. 16mo., muslin. 

Four Illustrations ^^'^^ 

A book in which the scriptural narratives are employed 
to teach the duty and value of patriotism. Orienta cus- 
toms and biblical knowledge are interspersed with facts and 
anecdote in such a manner as to entertain and instruct the 
young. 
Stories from the Creation. 

By Rev. W. M. Thayer. 16mo., muslin. Five 

Illustrations 

Each narrative is given somewhat in detail, and the 
imagination has supplied the broken links, as far as known 
facts will warrant, in order to secure the interest of the 
reader, and at the same time fix upon the youthful mind 
valuable biblical knowledge. 

StoHes of the Patriarchs. 

By Rev. W. M. Thayer. 16mo., muslin. Four 

Illustrations 

Sacred biographies brought together in such manner as 
to attract, instruct and profit youthful readers. Very inter- 
esting, and yet full of biblical facts. 

These three volumes form the Pioi^eer Library, in a neat 

box. Price $4.50. 

13 



BOAEDMAN LIBEAEY. 




4 Volumes. 16ino., nmsUn. $5.00. 

\6 ILLUSTRATIONS. 



H 



PERKINPINE & HIGGINS, PHILADELPHIA. 



Saps and Mishaps of the Brown FM. 

By Mrs. M. M. Boardman. 16mo., i^y^sl^n. Jour ^^^^ 

Illustrations 

A narrative illustrating, by a variety of j-f -'=' "^^ J,"^- 
flnence of family training. It is intended for boys and g.rU. 
bnt can be read with profit by many older persons. 
The Sister's Triumph, a Sequel to Maps 
and Mishaps. 

16mo., muslin. Four Illustrations »'• 

A story thoroughly religious in tone, comprising scenes in 
tht a^ly histo'y of a widow and her three children, re- 
Uteiln such a ml nner as to interest, while .t conveys at 
the same time lessons of practical value. 
NeUie Gates and the lAtUe MissUyn^J. 
By Mrs. M. M. Boardman. 16mo., ■""'I'- ^"^^^ ^^^^ 
Illustrations *"" , 

It e the clear sunny -t-^P''- /f t IT 'Xongh 

LowSe of " th! peace that passeth understanding.' 
The MotherAn^^, a Sequel to JfelUe Gates.^ 

iftrr^n mtialin. Four Illustrations -p • 

16mo., muslm. j ou ^^^ ^^^^^^^ 

This volume presents m a very VI vivx • i-v,- 

of Nellie Gates. 

The last four volumes form The BoiRnKAS toniBV, 4 
vols, in a neat box. Price $5.00. 

Blind Ifellie's Boy, «~««,.0*''f-,^^„7trt' 

By T. S. Arthur. 16mo., mushn. Four lUustra ^^^^ 

Aserfero7iif:;ke;;he;;:ni^;:d"h;ai;bfur;:;w 

15 



MY FAVORITE LIBRARY 




12 Volumes. 18mo., muslin. $7.50. 
200 ILLUSTRATIONS. 



18 



PERRINPINE & HIGGINS, PHILADELPHIA. 



•calculated to elevate the afifectiona and purify the morals. 
The book cannot be read without a gush of sympathizing 
tears ever and anon interrupting the perusal. It will do 
good wherever it goes. 

Clarence, or Self-will and Principle. 

By Mrs. J. E. McConaughy. 18mo., muslin. Three 
Illustrations 60 

A well-written story, showing the evils of unbridled tem- 
per, as exhibited in a boy who, trained by injudicious 
parents, grows up to be a drunkard, a thief and a gambler. 

Our Willie, or Monie Teaching, 

18mo., muslin 60 

Containing three different stories, in which is very feel- 
ingly portrayed the false policy of parents making promises 
to their children with no intention of fulfilling them. " The 
Prayer for Life" is a picture which many parents will see as 
too true a likeness of their own hesitating course in the early 
training of their children. 

My Uncle and the Parsonage. 

18mo., muslin. Three Illustrations 60 



Reminiscences of a country parsonage in England, by 
one who professes to be the niece of the pastor. Interesting 
in style, it is calculated to exercise a good influence upon 
all its readers. 

HUdah, a Sequel to Patience. 

18mo., muslin. Nineteen Illustrations 63 

The unpleasant consequences of impatience and the 
benefits arising from its opposite are well brought into view 
in a variety of incidents connected with the everyday life 
of a family of children. 

Susan Hawthorne, or Avoid Temptation, 

18mo., muslin. Twenty-one Illustrations 63 

A narrative showing, bv incidents in the lives of two 
17 



MY FAVORITE LIBEARY. 







■^ir ^ 




12 Volumes. 18mo., muslin. 
200 ILLUSTRATIONS. 



$7.50. 



PERKINPINE & HIGGINS, PHILADELPHIA. 



little girls, how much happiness is secured by obedience, 
and the importance of avoiding any temptations to its op- 
posite. 

A Good Ch^andson, or The Way to Spend 
JPocket-Money, 

18mo., muslin. Twenty-three Illustrations 63 

The practical lessons of duty which are set forth in this 
volume will be a benefit to all who read it. It inculcates 
the best principles and is of a high religious tone. 

The Two Brothers, or The IdtUe Cowslip 
Gatherers, 

18mo., muslin. Twenty Illustrations 63 

An instructive and amusing book, based on sound moral 
and religious principles and teaching lessons of integrity 
and kindness. The author's varied and pleasing pictures 
introduce us to a well-ordered, happy family, and skillfully 
illustrate the reciprocal duties of the lofty and lowly. 

JRosa, a Sequel to the Two Brothers, 

18mo., muslin. Sixteen Illustrations 63 

Full of incidents, such as are occurring in the daily life 
of almost every child, and combining with them profitable 
lessons of kindness and love. 

Cheerfulness f Ethel's Story of, 

18mo., muslin. Twenty-two Illustrations 63 

Intended to impress upon the minds of children the ad- 
vantages of cheerfulness and the evils attendant upon a 
sullen spirit. 

Patience, Ethel's Story of, 

18mo., muslin. Twenty-one Illustrations 63 

Patience and its opposite are strikingly contrasted in this 

simply-told story of child-life, while the importance of 

seeking Divine help in the struggle against an impatient 

spirit is well illustrated. 

19 



MY FAVOEITE LIBRARY. 







12 Volumes. 18mo., muslin. 

200 ILLUSTRATIONS. 



i 



$7.50. 



PERKINPINE &. HIGGINS, PHILADELPHIA. 



Household Words for Boys and Girls. 

18mo., mualin. Three Illustrations 63 

A coUection of short stories and anecdotes intended to 
teach the reader to love and practice those things which 
are true and good. " It seeks to touch the heart and excite 
the nobler impulses of the soul to healthy action." 

Golden Rtde, for Boys and Girls. 

18mo., muslin. Three Illustrations 6^ 

Another compUation, similar to "Household Words" in 
its character. Interesting and profitable in its tone and 
spirit 
Glenbumie, The Cottagers of, 

Two volumes. 18mo., muslin. Sixteen Illustra- 

$1.25 

tions 

The history of a Scotch family, bringing out in a very in- 
teresting manner, illustrations of the importance of per- 
forming jeell the plain and homely duties of everyday life. 
It is written in a simple style, but contains valuable lessons 
for every reader. 
Contentment, Ethel's Story of, 

18mo., muslin. Fifteen Illustrations 6d 

The advantages of contentment are forcibly impressed 
upon the attention of young readers, while their interest 
is excited in the adventures of a family of some five chil- 
dren, who have each and all their struggles with discontent 
and experience the pleasure of its opposite. 

The last twelve volumes form My Favorite Library, in 
a neat box. Price $7.50.- 

I tviU be a Gentleman. 

By Mrs. L. C. Tuthill. ISmo., muslin. Two II- 

\ ,. 65 

lustrations • 

The manly Christian qualities which are necessary to 



JUVENILE LIBEARY. 




14 Volumes. ISmo., musliii. $9.00. 
42 ILLUSTRATIONS. 



22 



PERKINPINE & HIGGINS, PHILADELPHIA. 



make a true gentleman are well contrasted, in this book^ 
with the affected politeness which extends no farther than 
outside appearance. 

Owward, Right Onward, 

By Mrs. L. C. Tuthill. ISmo., muslin. Two Il- 
lustrations 6^ 

The necessity of steady, persevering effort to ensure suc- 
cess, and the evils resulting from erratic effort, are forcibly 
impressed upon the mind through this interesting narrative 
of a young artist struggling with his own impetuous spirit. 

Boarding-school Girl. 

By Mrs. L. C. Tuthill. 18mo., muslin. Two Il- 
lustrations 65 

A narrative of a school-girl's life, inculcating the value of 
true Christian principles and the beauty of a consistent 
performance of duty. Interesting and profitable. 

A Strike for Freedom, or Law and Order. 

By Mrs. L. C. Tuthill. 18mo., muslin. Two Il- 
lustrations 65 

The story of six boys who run away from a boarding- 
school and undertake to camp in the woods. Their expe- 
rience is a very unpleasant one, and sets forth very vividly 
the duty of obedience to law and order, and the evils result- 
ing from resistance to proper authority. 

Anything for Spoilt. 

By Mrs. L. C. Tuthill. 18mo., muslin. Two Il- 
lustrations 65 

The history of a boy who, making mere amusement his 
chief object in life, reaps a broken constitution and an in- 
jured reputation as the appropriate fruits, but repents in 
time to commence a new life. Other characters are intro- 
duced as succeeding in life by earnest industry and manly 
conduct, joined to the influence and practice of Christian 
precepts and living. Interesting and instructive. 
23 



JUYENILE LIBRARY. 




14 Volumes. ISino., muslin. $9.00. 

42 ILLUSTRATIONS. 

24 



PERRINPINE & HIGGINS, PHILADELPHIA. 



Ma/ry Leeson, The Childhood of. 

By Mary Howitt. 18mo., muslin. Three Illus- 
trations 6^ 

The story illustrates the importance of laying a founda- 
tion of truth, obedience and love in the early education of 
children. It is written with great simplicity, and is certain 
to interest and instruct its readers. 

When are we Happiest? or The lAttle 
Camerons* 

18mo., muslin. Two Illustrations 65^ 

A family of six children left without their mother have 
the advantage of an earnest Christian governess, who, by 
her constant precept and example, teaches them the best of 
lessons, that true happiness comes from self-conquest and 
sincere love of Christ 

Hurrah, for New England, or The Virginia 
Boy's Vacation, 

18mo., muslin. Two Illustrations 65 

A Virginia boy visits New England and takes a fishing 
cruise in the vicinity of the Bay of Newfoundland. His 
trip is attended with some interesting incidents, and the 
story inculcates good religious principles. 

The Boy of Spirit, 

18mo., muslin. Two Illustrations 65 

The difference between true and false courage is well il- 
lustrated in this interesting story, bringing out various inci- 
dents of school-boy life, and earnestly impressing the truth 
that " he that ruleth his own spirit is greater than he that 
taketh a city." 

I tviU he a Lad/y, 

By Mrs. L. C. Tuthill. ISmo., muslin. Two Il- 
lustrations 65 

An interesting narrative, bringing out the leeson that the 
25 



JUVENILE LIBRAEY. 




14 Volumes. 18mo, muslin. $9.00. 
42 ILLUSTRATSONS. 



PERKINPINE & HIGGINS, PHILADELPHIA. 



true lady is she who makes the pervading principle of her 
life the golden rule, " Do unto others as you would that they 
should do unto you." 

The Teople of Bledbv/m, 

18mo., muslin. Two Illustrations 65 

No one can read it without being made better, by getting 
from it some hints at least of the preparation of head and 
heart for those scenes of poverty, suffering and sickness 
which enter into our human lot and cannot always be es- 
caped. In a form that will invite attention it enforces 
duties to be discharged, portrays qualities of head and heart 
to be cultivated, exhibits, either as warning or encourage- 
ment, conduct to be avoided or imitated in every human 
life. 

Happy Days, 

18mo., muslin. Two Illustrations 65 

Conversations and incidents in the daily intercourse of a 
mother and her children, introducing valuable information 
on various subjects in a pleasing style. There is also bound 
up with it a very excellent temperance story, called " The 
Warning." 

Ellen Stanley » 

18mo. muslin. Nine Illustrations .65 

A collection of short stories and poems. A direct Chris- 
tian influence pervades the entire compilation. It is an 
excellent book for any Sabbath-school-library. 

Keeper's Travels, 

ISmo., muslin. Eight Illustrations 65 

The adventures of a dog, written in such a way as to 
teach how many troubles may result from one act of negli- 
gence ; how one error or dereliction from the path of right 

27 



THE YOUTH'S PICTORIAL LIBRARY. 




9 Volumes. Square 16mo. 

436 ILLUSTRATIONS. 

28 



/^ERRINPINE & HIGGINS. PHILADELPHIA. 



may expose us to a whole train of vices and sorrows. 
Amusing and instructive. 

The last fourteen volumes are put in a neat box and sold 
as The Juvenile Library, for boys and girls. Price $9.00. 

The Youth's Pictorial lAhrary, 

Nine volumes. 436 Illustrations. Square 16mo., mus- 
lin $4.50 

Stories of Foreign Countries. 
Tales of the Great and Brave. 
Stories of Natural History. 
Stories of Animals. 
Christmas Stories. 
Foems for Little Folks. 
Casper's Adventures. 
History of Birds. 
Fables in Verse. 
A good collection for young children, each book being 
composed of short sketches on various subjects, each sketch 
having one or more Illustrations. 

Sunday-school Speaker, or Exercises for 
Anniversaries and Celebrations, 

By Rev. John Kennedy, D. D. 18mo., muslin 60 

Sunday-school Celebration Book, 

A collection of Dialogues and Speeches for anni- 
versaries. By Miss Toy and Mrs. Knowles. 
18mo., muslin 60 

The Anniversary Speaker, or Young Folks 
on the Sunday-school Platform, 

A collection of addresses, Ac, for celebrations. By 
Bev. N. Heston, late Pastor of State Street 
Congregational Church, Brooklyn. 18mo., mus- 
lin 60 

29 



LIFE IN THE ARMY. 




12mo., muslin. 
4 ILLUSTRATIONS 

30 



PERKINPINE & HIGGINS, PHIIADELPHIA. 



The Aivni/versary Speaker, Second Series, 

By Eev. N. Heston. ISmo., muslin 60 

Over 30,000 of the above Speakers have been sold. 

TTie Sunday-school TeacJier's Improved 
Class Book, 

Will last a class of ten scholars three years with 
proper care. Per dozen $1.00 

lAfe in the Armiy in the Departments of 
Virginia and the €hilf. 

Including Observations in New Orleans. With an 
account of the author's life and experience in 
the ministry. By Eev. J. C. Gregg. 12mo., 

muslin. Four Illustrations $1.25 

A narrative of chaplain life in the army, containing much 
that is interesting, instructive and profitable. 

Illustrative Gatherings, 

A manual of anecdotes, facts, figures, proverbs, 
quotations, Ac, <fcc., adapted for Christian 
teaching. By Rev. G. S. Bowes, Eector of Chil- 
lenden, Kent, England. Two volumes 12mo., 

muslin, each $1.75 

Choice collections of illustrations arranged in clear order, 
with a copious index. Sabbath-school teachers will find 
them invaluable, giving them a constant supply of apt 
quotations and striking facts with which to fasten their 
teaching on the minds of scholars. They have met with 
the warmest commendations from the press and pulpit. 

The American Temperance Spelling Book, 
For the use of Public and SabhatJi- 
sclwol. 

By Eev. T. Sovereign. Half bound 25 

Per dozen $2.25 

31 



PERKINPINE & HIGGINS, PHILADELPHIA. 



Select Lessons from the Soly Scriptures, 

Adapted to responsive readings in Sunday-schools. 

By Eev. H. Mattison, D.D. 18mo., 216 pp. 

Half bound, per dozen ....» $3.60' 

It consists of 200 lessons of about 20 verses each, includ- 
ing all the more interesting portions of the Bible, for Sun- 
day-school reading. The verses are numbered as in the 
Bible, so that it can be used with or without Bibles. It is 
designed to be used in the alternate reading which is being 
generally introduced as a part of the opening exercises in 
Sabbath- schools. It secures lessons of interest to the- 
scholars, saves time in selecting, and is printed in larger 
type than the Bible which is mostly used. 

The Bible J>efended against the Objections 
of Infidelity, 

Being an Examination of Scientific, Historical, 
Chronological and other Scripture Difl&culties. 
By Eev. W. H. Brisbane, A.M. 12mo., muslin. .75 
Very useful for reference, to all who meet with diflficulties 
in their Scripture lessons. 

The Immortality of the Soul, 

Considered in the light of the Holy Scriptures, the 
Testimony of Keason and Nature, and the various 
Phenomena of Life and Death. By Rev. Hiram 
Mattison, D. D. 12mo., muslin $1.50 

The Mesurrection of the Body, 

Considered in the light of History, Philosophy 
and Divine Revelation. With an Introduction 
by Rev. M. Simpson, D. D., one of the Bishops 
of the M. E. Church. By Rev. H. Mattison, D. D. 

12mo., muslin $1.5ft 

The above works are valuable to all who are interested in 
the doctrines of which they treat. They form a compend 
of information as to the various theories, and contain a 
plain statement of the scriptural doctrines. 
32 



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